New Chances
by book-worm928
Summary: James Potter being the arrogant git that he is, is trying yet once more for a school year to whoo Lily Evans. Lily, however is only SLIGHTLY interested in his constant insistants of his changing over the summer holiday. Will Lily ever believe him?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter series, J.K. rowling does. **

My seventh and final year at Hogwarts is finally here at last; it seemed so unbelievable to me. It was only seven years ago that I got the letter explaining that I was to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, telling me that I was meant for something more than the average muggle lifestyle that my sister and parents lead. I knew that the letter was coming, but nonetheless I was still thrilled at the single thought and knowing of that I was different.

Severus was with me the whole way through school, summer, and holiday helping me with some things that I still didn't understand and he did. He was my best friend until two years ago.

_I walked out from the entrance hall and down the worn away path that I took to sit by the lake, my book bag in one hand and my __Sherlock Homes__ novel in the other. I loved the muggle story of the man that was meant for greater things than the muggle life, and how he seemed nearly wizard like, yet still being the muggle he was. _

_I sat on the edge of the Black Lake, leaning against a tree as I opened the book to the page I left the book mark in. I got ever so wrapped in the cold confines of catacombs when I heard loud and obnoxious voices coming from behind me. I turned my head to see James Potter sitting against his favorite tree with his three friends Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. Remus was wrapped in a book of his own, you could hardly even see the bridge of his nose it was buried so deep in the pages. Sirius was speaking to James, as to be expected. Peter looked positively exited, like he was going to wet his pants shall someone say the wrong thing. _

_James was throwing his nicked Golden Snitch in the air and catching it right before it flew away from his grasp. His tousled black hair seemed even messier than it usually did when he was done taking a test. His round glasses sliding down his straight, angular nose slowly showing his round bright blue eyes. He was only quick enough to catch the snitch because he was our house's seeker at Quidditch games, and we normally won by a landslide because of him. _

_Sirius seemed to be down, and I turned my attention right back to my book wanting to know if Mr. Homes would catch the thief in the end even if I already knew he would. _

_Then I heard three words that immediately caught every ounce of attention that my teenage body held. _

"_All right, Snivellus?" The all-too familiar voice of Sirius rang out from behind me. I quickly placed my bookmark in the crease between the pages and closed the book looking behind me at the scene playing out just like normal._

_James and Sirius were stalking their way towards Sev in a lion like manor, causing several peers to pause and look as well. Severus acted immediately as well, knowing what was about to happen. He jumped and dropped the papers he held in his hands and reached into his robes for the wand that rested with him always. He pulled it out and raised it halfway as quick as his arm would allow, but it wasn't quick enough for the mind of James. _

"Expelliarmus!_" James yelled, pointing the tip of his dark wood want at Severus's own wand. The wood went flying from his hand and into the air, landing on the grass five feet away from him. _

_Sev dived for his only defense against the duo but Sirius was too quick thinking for him and beat him to getting the wand. _

"Impendimenta!_" Sirius shouted, pointing his wand at Severus. Sev was knocked to his feet and he seemed to have all the air rushed right out from his body. _

_Several students had gathered around to watch the fight that they knew was going to happen, or to see yet another student get picked and teased by James Potter and his friends. _

_Sev was panting in the grass, giving the plant more air to clean. James and Sirius were edging closer to the Sev's body, wands raised ready for Sev to jump up at a moments notice and hex them. James stole a glance over his shoulder to the edge of the lake, looking to see if I was watching the fight. I averted my eyes away from the fight and down to the closed book in my lap, not wanting James to know that I was watching the entire thing and give him an idea that I wanted to go out with him. I waited a few minutes, biting my lip, and then I turned around once again. _

_Peter was up from his spot now and was scrutinizing the fight and edging around Remus to get a better view. Remus didn't look up from the text book he had lying in his lap, not caring what was going on — he lived in this from day to day._

"_How's the exam go, Snivelly?" James asked, raising his voice to try and grab my attention. _

"_I was watching him," Sirius said smugly, "his nose was touching the parchment." He continued viciously. "There'll be grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word." He insulted. I hated it when they did that. It wasn't Severus's fault that his hair seemed to retain the oil that I produced, he tried everything but he couldn't change anything. He was an intelligent boy and he would no doubt get a O on the exam and all the others from his brain. _

_The on watchers laughed at the comment, knowing the meaning that it held behind the words. Sev tried to rise to his feet, but the hex was still on him and he was beginning to struggle harder and harder. _

"_You wait," He panted loudly. He glared at James that showed how much he loathed Potter and his mates, his eyes screaming with hatred. "You — wait…" He continued to repeat the unfinished threat. _

"_Wait for what?" Sirius questioned. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?" He joked once again. _

_Sev opened his mouth and a throng of swear words and hexes came from his mouth, but his wand was at least ten feet away from his possession and him just shouting the hexes wasn't going to do anything. _

"_Wash out your mouth." James sneered coldly. "_Scougify!_" He yelled, flicking his wand hardly, and suddenly soap bubbles and suds erupted from Sev's mouth. The pink suds filled his mouth and throat and over flowed and ran down his pale jaw and chin. I stood up, dropping my book on the grass, trying to see what was going on. Sev was having the hardest time breathing, the suds and bubbles blocked his wind pipe chocking him. He was going to die if someone didn't do something quickly, and no one makde a move to help. I'm going to have to do something before he dies. _

"_Leave him ALONE!" I shouted, making my way from the edge of the lake and towards the fight. _

_James and Sirius looked around to see where my order had come from, James's free hand automatically jumping to his hair to mess it up because he knew that it was a girl who yelled. _

_I pushed my way through the students, facing James and Sirius and looking them in the eyes. _

"_All right, Evens?" James asked, using my last name instead of my first. He tried to make his voice and tone more deeper and pleasant trying to make him appear more mature than I knew. _

"_Leave him alone." I repeated, glaring at him with the most hate that I held. "What's he done to you?" I asked, knowing that there wasn't any real reason for him to be hexing anyone. _

"_Well," James contemplated, "it's more of the fact that he _exists_, if you know what I mean…" He trailed off, trying to make a point. All I saw was red right then. _

_Most of the surrounding people laughed at James then, Sirius and Peter included. Remus looked up from his book but didn't find the comment amusing in the slightest, and neither did I. _

"_You think you're so funny," I sneered at James. "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him _alone_." I ordered again, hoping that it would be the last time. _

"_I will," James agreed, and I felt relief for Sev that James was going to stop, but if I knew Potter he was going to have a condition for me to follow. "if you go out with me, Evans." He added quickly. "Go on… Go out with, and I'll never lay and wand on old Sivelly again." He prompted. _

_I could see that the Impediment Jinx had worn off on Sev and he was inching towards his fallen wand, desperate for his defense. He was spitting out the soap suds as he crawled slowly. I needed to keep James distracted while Sev tried to get his wand. _

"_I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," I spat. _

'_bad luck, Prongs." Sirius sympathized his best friend, then his attention turned to Sev behind James. "OY!" He yelled, effectively gaining James's attention as well. _

_Severus had directed his wand right at James; a flash of light come from the tip and the next thing that happened was James had a deep gash on the side of his face. The blood trickled down his skin and splattered onto his school robes, the crimson liquid staining his shirt and tie. A second flash of light came and Sev was hanging upside down by his legs in midair and his robes were falling over his head, his skinny, pale legs showing a pair of grey underpants. _

_The crowd gathered cheered loudly, while James, Sirius, and Peter roared with the laughter doubling over and clutching their stomachs. I felt that this was pretty funny indeed, but Sev was my friend and I was standing up for him. I fought the smile that was pulling hard a my lips, but I pressed them into a hard line. _

"_Let him down!" I screamed. _

"_Certainly." James agreed, and flicked his wand up and Sev fell in a crumpled heap against the green grass. He pushed his tangled robes out of the way and stood with his wand raised once again. _

"Petrificus Totalus_!" Sirius shouted, and Sev froze in place, unable to move from the hex._

"_LEAVE HIM ALONE!" I reached down and pulled out my own wand and pointed it at James and Sirius, having no problem with hexing them and making sure that they won't so much as jinx again. I knew the spells and I could counter them quickly and say a handful in my mind so that they didn't know what to expect. James and Sirius eyed my wand warily, knowing that I knew the spells they did. _

"_Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you." James begged. I fought the smile, he was scared to fight and girl. _

"_Take the curse off him then!" _

_James sighed and muttered the counter curse, giving his wand and half hearted waved and Sev was unfrozen. "There you go." He spoke to Severus. "You're luck Evans was here Snivellus—" _

"_I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!" Sev shot back at James, clearly making the point that I wasn't welcome to help him as my friend, and I was no longer worthy of being is friend. _

_I felt my heart squeeze and all the juices fall out and stain the grass bellow my feet. My stomach lurched, he hated me. I knew that he wasn't acting, he meant what he said. I blinked once. I pulled on my mask, "Fine." I snapped back coolly. "I won't bother in the future." I stated, meaning every word that I said. "And I'd wash your pant if I were you, _Snivellus_." I used the nick name that James and his lot had given to him to show my new found loathing and to him showing that I wasn't even going to bother being his friend in the future either. _

"_Apologize to Evans!" James ordered, coming close to Snape's face. _

_I rolled my eyes at James, and rounded on him. "I don't want _you _to make him apologize. You're just as bad as he is…" I spoke the words that ran through my mind all the time ever since I knew Snape was using dark magic. _

"_What?" James demanded, his face twisted in shock at my comment. "I'd NEVER call you a —" He didn't want to say to word Mudblood, "you-know-what!" _

"_Messing up your hair because you think that it looks cool like you've just gotten off your broomstick, showing off with the stupid snitch, walking down the corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can — I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it." I listed and insulted. "You make me SICK." I spat. _

_I turned on my heel and strode away with what little dignity Severus and James had left me. I knew that I would once again be in the spotlight of gossip around the school for weeks. I wanted to go into Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom and cry from the pain churning in my stomach. _

"_Evans!" James called after me. "Hey, EVANS!" He called again, no doubt trying to get me to go out with him or trying to say that he was different from Severus Snape. I turned the first corner and flushed my back against the stone wall. The tears flew down my cheeks and sobs wracked through my chest, I could still hear James and his friends. _

"_What's with her?" James asked. _

"_Reading between the lines, I'd say she thinks you're a bit conceited, mate." Sirius answered, hitting right on the target. _

"_Right," James seemed to have taken on quite the temper now, on what I'm not sure, "right." He repeated and I knew that the fight had taken off again, but I didn't go back to help. I wasn't Snivellus's friend any longer, all I was to him was the Mudblood that tried to stick up for him but got thrown away like yesterday's _Daily Prophet_ and never looked at twice. _

_I ran into Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom, locked a stall fell to the ground and cried._

That Summer Severus sent me several owls, explaining that he was sorry and that he just let the single word slip out from his mouth. I didn't talk to him all Summer nor did I carry a conversation with him last year, and I didn't intend to this year either.

I pulled my cat out from her cage and set her in my lap, my left hand instinctively going to stroke her jet black fur. I pulled my novel out from my saddle bag and opened the thrilling tale to page that left off at, immediately leaving the train and the all the students and going deep into the scene playing in my mind from the novel. The door to the compartment was open and I tuned out anyone that walked by and just lost myself in the confines of the wondrous pages of the book.

I don't know how much time passed, all I knew was that the train was off and I was still reading my books, but someone else was in the compartment with me. I didn't look up from the book, knowing that if it was Mary or Annie they would say something to get my attention, but the person sitting across from me didn't say a word. I sighed and placed my novel in my lap, placing the bookmark where it belonged and looking up to see that last person that I would want to see after my Summer holiday.

"What are you doing in the empty compartment that a Mudblood is sitting in, Snivellus?" I asked, the loathing I felt towards him leaking through the cracks in my voice. I saw the greasy haired boy flinch at the harsh name, but he didn't get up from the seat. I quirked and eyebrow, waiting for the reply or I was getting up and sitting with someone that was kinder to me.

Severus let out the breath he as holding and looked at me, his nearly black eyes frozen and cold. "I came in here to say that we are no longer friends, and that you're nothing more than some filthy, dirty, ungrateful little Mudblood that doesn't deserve to be a witch." He stated in a cold and collected tone.

I rolled my eyes to the back of my skull and looked at him with some much hatred that I thought my scrutinizing might burn a hold through the train. "Well, I got the message and I hope that after this school You-Know-Who will take pity on you and let you join his little Death Eater group." I tsk-ed at him, and opened my book up again.

Several loud and boyish voices traveled down the hall of the train, and next thing I knew James Potter and his mates were standing right in front of the open door. James grew over the Summer holiday and he looked great.

James's black hair was still as untidy as it can be, and his skin seemed to have gotten quite the tan. His glasses were the same as ever, and I was angry at them for hiding his eyes away from the world. He was taller and slimmer than the end of the school year and his light jeans hung low on his hips. His left arm was propped up against the wooden from of the door and his blue button down shirt rose, exposing a small sliver of tan skin and hard muscles of his stomach. The smile that was gracing on his lips slid down his face like mud when he was Severus sitting in front of me. His lips pressed into a hard line, and I could see his hand twitch towards the wand that was sticking out form his back pocket.

Sirius Black was right behind him, his hair grown out and some pushed behind his ears, his toothy grin falling as well. His skin was still pale, but it was slightly darker than last year. He stopped growing, and his clothes were similar to James's and his wand was in his front pocket, the green shirt falling around it.

Remus stood next to Sirius and he seemed to smile warmly at me, seeming to know that my holiday was rougher than ever. His light brown hair was the same as ever, just enough to the point where it could be messy and he could still keep it tidy. His T-shirt was slightly more wrinkled than James's or even Sirius's and his face held new scars and the dark purple circles under his eyes made me begin to worry. He always looked like this at the same time of the month, and it was horrible. His body was slouching and his arms seemed to be weak and his legs seemed to be giving out under the pressure. Peter was no where to be seen.

"Is there a problem in here?" James asked, his blue eyes traveling from me to Severus and the space between us.

"There's no problem, and I suggest that you keep your little nose where it belongs, Potter, and not where it's not needed." Severus snapped at him. I glowered at the pale man in front of me.

I could feel James's prying eyes on my face but I didn't turn from Severus's pale and twisted face. "Yes, James, there is." I stated, and then I turned my gaze to the group of friends in front of me. I felt happy for them; they stayed friends every school year and they stuck up for one another. It was like they were their own little family, and you were lucky to be let in sometimes. It shocked me that they didn't grow apart over the school years or holidays like Sev and I did, they stuck together — just like brothers.

I looked into James's eyes, and I could see my own eyes right back. He was worried for me, he wasn't the James Potter that I knew, he was different and he wanted to be sure that I was alright. "Severus is just being a total git and won't leave the compartment. I was just leaving, and you and your mates can have this compartment." I stood from the red velvet seat and put my novel back where I had it before the train was off, and my cat back in her cage. I pulled the strap of the bag over my head and let it rest on my shoulder, and I walked past the group of friends and down the hall.

As I walked by, I felt James's free hand and wand brush on mine and I could feel a surge of electricity pass between the two of us. I gasped loudly when I happened and I could feel my green eyes widen at the shock of it, and a red blush colors my cheeks and I ran quickly away from the spot.

I wasn't sure oif he felt it, too, but I soon found out just moments after I began to walk away.

"Hey, Evans!" James yelled, running down the length of the train to catch up to me. I sighed and closed my eyes, hoping that he wouldn't be an arrogant git at the moment. I turned to face him, and I had my mouth hanging open like a moron no words coming out. He stunned me wordless.

I finally regained my stance. "What is it?" I asked, flipping my hair over my shoulder.

"I just wanted you to know that I've changed over holiday, and that I'm going to prove to you that I'm different and that I'm going to get you to go out with me if it's the last thing I do this year." He spoke, his face serious, all traces of joking gone in the instant. He turned on his heel then, and walked back to the compartment that I was just occupying, joining his three friends.

**I hope to be sticking to the information that the books gavve me to write this fanfiction, and I hope that you liked the first chapter!**

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	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter series, the lovely Ms. Rowling does — I just like to add to it.**

**This chapter goes to: Lizzle09, Faerie0975, In the Canis Major, Missy 369, Melora, Shadestorm, and lizzyathogwarts for reviewing for the fist chapter.**

**I hope that you like this chapter as much as you did the last one. (I'm most likely going to be switching POVs from Lily to James every other chapter.)**

**James Potter**

I swear to Merlin's pants that every year there seem to be more and more first years coming into the school and being sorted. I'm starving and they're still sorting through the hundred or so eleven year-olds standing in the middle of the great hall.

I tried to entertain myself by thinking of ways to hex Snivellus and his little group of Death Eater- wannabes, but Mooney's prefect badge seemed to snap me out from those particular thoughts. I didn't want to get in trouble all the time on my last year to win Evans's heart. I didn't stick around on the train to gauge her reaction to me saying that I was going to get her to go out with me and such, I didn't want to seem _that _much like an arrogant git. I groaned slightly and turned my head to the other end of the table where I saw Lily Evans sitting with her group of girl-friends.

She matured over to holiday, her stomach flattening even more than it did, and her hair growing longer to the middle of her back. Her legs were longer and even more attractive than they were when I last saw her leaving Kings Cross station with her mum and dad. Her eyes seemed to get larger and much more doe-like, but still keeping the almond shape that they held before. Lily's cheek bones were high and prominent on her face, a slight blush always being there to cover her fair skin. Her robes were new and the red and gold striped tie that hung from her neck really made her hair look great and even more red and think than it already did before. Her prefects badge sparkled in the candle light that was given off, sure showing that she spent hours polishing it to look as perfect as it did. The five of them were laughing and giggling at something and pointing at various places in the room.

I could feel my eye brow knit into one at the thought of what they might be giggling and whispering about. I didn't want to know.

The feast was great as usual and met Padfoot's standard's; he stuffed his face and tried to have a coherent, and flowing conversation with us at the same time. Mooney kept on about how exited he was that he was going to be in an Advanced Potions class, and having the chance to take Ancient Runes in the same year. Wormtail was ever so exited over his Transfiguration class along with Care of Magical Creatures class, claiming that it's all he wants to do all year.

"What are you exited about having the chance to do this year, Prongs?" Sirius asked as he stuffed a chicken leg into the black hole we call his mouth.

I averted my eyes from the beautiful sight that was in front of my eyes to look at my best mate stuffing his mouth full of Merlin knows what. I raised my eye brows, hoping that he would see how obvious my answer would be, but he said nothing and just continued to stuff his face. Mooney sighed from across the table and set his book down and leaned across the table to speak to Padfoot.

"James is planning on going on at least _one _date with Lily Evans this year, git." He muttered under his breath at the end. Sirius's eyes went wide at the realization of the most obvious thing on the planet.

"Can you do that, Prongs?" He gulped down the mouthful of food he hand. "I mean, how are you going to get her to say yes?" He picked up a roll and took a large bite out of it.

"I don't know," I answer honestly, looking up at the midnight blue ceiling filled with stars and a bright nearly full moon. "I'm just going to play it by ear and make it up as I go along, as usual." I mused, smiling slightly.

"Are you mad?" Sirius blurted out, spitting a small chewed piece of unidentified met on my cheek. I could feel the scowl coming onto my face from the met already. "You know that Evans is going to think your doing this just to prove something, she's smart James — something you're not too familiar with…"

"Sirius, let James do what he wants. If he thinks that he can get Lily to go out with him by some mixed-up and overly complicated plan then let him." Remus scolded, digging his nose right back into the pages of his book.

I nodded at him to show that I was thankful, and I frowned at the thought that my master plan would be "mixed-up and overly complicated". It most certainly is not. I was just going to ask her out and from there play it by ear and live in the moment, I find that if you plan something it's not as special as just living in the moment.

I find it hard to believe sometimes that Remus and I are best mates… He's a goody two shoes like Evans and I get into trouble nearly everyday with Sirius… Weird how some things turn out — and the fact that if Remus and I could be best friend helped the thought that Evans would one day say yes to me.

Prefects — such as Evans and Mooney — had to escort all the first years to the common rooms and to explain a few things on the way up the stairs. I could feel my eyes dragging as I saw Evans walk off in front of the group of eleven year-olds, her red hair swinging from side to side in their heavy curls down her back.

I followed in suit, Padfoot and Wormtail on my as I walked up the grand marble stair case and listened to Evans voice explaining that the stair cases liked to move and to watch out. The paintings waved at me and smiled sweetly, and I did the same back knowing that this was going to be the last time that they wished me luck with the school year ahead of me.

I ran into the new Gryffindors at the portrait of the Fat Lady, Mooney right in front of me and Evans saying the password to the woman in the canvas. The door swung open and you could see the Common Room slightly through the large hole provided for us to climb through.

Lily bent down and crawled through the portrait hole and into the common room, followed by a long line of first years and older students. I came in right after Mooney, just in time to hear the last of the required speech and all prefects were off for the rest of the night.

"The boys' dormitories are up the stairs to the left, and ladies the same for you on the right." Lily instructed, pointing her slender and long finger at the small spiraling staircase. All the students murmured amongst themselves and Lily ran up the stairs, no doubt wanting to find her friends.

I smiled and walked to the over-stuffed couch, that I claimed to be mine seven years ago, and flopped down on the red cushioning sighing with relief. The blazing orange fire was crackling, giving the room and warm glow and the feeling of home. I knew by the simple sounds of the fire and the murmuring of O.W.L.'s and N.E.W.T.'s that Ii was home at last.

Hardly and students were down in the Common Room, most wanting to either settle in, or get caught up with their friends.

I felt the couch shift and I looked up to see who has dared to sit on the Marauders' couch.

Sirius sat there with his chest held high and a smug smile on his face, Peter right behind him bouncing with excitement over something. I rolled my eyes, knowing that something was going to come along with the knowing that I most likely wasn't going to like it. Remus was no where to be seen at the moment.

"What?" I asked, clearly irritated.

"I just slightly over heard Evans and her little posy speaking about you," He stated still smug as a pixie. I raised my eyebrows, challenging him to continue with his "ever thrilling tale" on Lily Evans. "and she and her little girly friends were all up in their beds giggling over who the think would be the best match for one another. Well, I just _so happened _to walk by when it was Evans's turn, and her friend Alice — the one that's dating Frank Longbottom — said and I quote "You and James would make the best looking, and most compatible couple _ever _Lily, and you need to see that. I know that he can be a git most of the time, but every person has to have some form of a heart of gold, and James's is made for _you_."" He ended the quote smiling brightly, but I knew that it compared nothing to my own.

I could feel my jaw hit the floor with an audible _thud_ and my tongue was just about to roll out from the confines of my mouth if I didn't hear the unmistakable giggle of Lily. I turned in the couch to see Lily in a green tank-top, dipping low enough to show just a small portion of cleavage, but still giving allot to the imagination. Her white cotton pajama bottoms hung on her pelvis, the red draw string hung loosely down her legs, twisting and permanently creased from being tied constantly. Her red hair hung loose down her back, some coming up and over her shoulders and coming down to meet with her waist line. Now I swear that I could feel the line of warm drool pool from the corner of my mouth and land in my lap in a large, wet puddle in my lap.

In her right hand was a rather thick novel, and in her left was a glass of ice water that was always present in to dormitories. Lily was laughing at something her friend joked about on the staircase, her head thrown back and her laugh sounded like a slow trickling water fall. I couldn't help the wide and I'm sure goofy grin that spread across my face.

I glanced over to Sirius, his face turned up into a devilish smile, showing me that he knew what was about to happen. My gaze averted to Mooney and his nose was buried deep into the confines of his book, I don't think that an earth quake could shake his eyes away from the text. Peter looked as if he were going to pass out at any given moment, one hand resting comfortably on the top of his stomach and the other running over his eyes to keep them open.

I smiled at my best mate, hoping that my eyes showed what I was going to do and rose out from the couch that I was seated in.

I made my way over to Evans , not bothering to look at anyone else in the room. She sat down in a large red chair, her long legs tucked safely under her bum and her novel open in her lap. The glass of water was on the table to the left of the chair. All of her thick hair was draped over on shoulder, and it framed that single side of her face perfectly. The light from the fire seemed to give a nice glow to her features, her dimples and cheek bones casting a nice shadow over the rest of her skin as she smiled from her novel. I felt slightly jealous that blank ink on a white page could make lily laugh and I couldn't, I wanted to be the one to make her smile and throw her head back in laughter, not some silly book.

I went around the chair, hoping that Evans was going to be under the impression that I was going to bed. I saw her head move slightly in my direction, then her bright green eyes went right back to the place that she was on in her book before she turned her head. I smiled, thinking about how she looked at me and I didn't even do anything yet. I went behind her chair and at the angle I was at, I swear that the light from the fire was trying to kill me.

The warm glow that the fire gave off seemed to surround her body like some sort of giant halo, giving her the image of an angel. At that moment I thought that I had died and gone to heaven.

I smiled devilishly and then took the two strides necessary to reach to left of the chair and to have Lily look right at me if she turned her head slightly to the left she would see me. Lily didn't turn her head from the pages of her book, her green eyes most likely following the lines of the book as she read and absorbed each word.

The smile didn't fade from my face and I opened my mouth top speak the words that I hoped she would one day say yes to. "Go out with me, Evans?" I asked, right next to her ear.

Lily gave a girlish shriek of shock and jumped in the chair that she was sitting in, her book falling out from her lap and landing on the floor. Her hands flew up to her mouth to bring her lips into the palms to stifle her gasp and her mouth hanging open. Lily's green eyes widened in the shock and they looked as if they were going to pop right out of their sockets at any given moment.

The smile still didn't fade from my face, in fact, it grew wider.

Lily finally gained enough control to see what just happened and what she was going to do. Her shock morphed into anger, and her eyes burned with a fire blazing with annoyance. She dropped her hands and her eyes returned to the normal almond shape they always held.

"Potter, I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the hooked nose of Severus Snape." She snapped picking up her book from the ground and standing up from her chair. "And I thought that you said you changed over holiday?" she questioned, looking at me with a slight amount of loathing hidden in her eyes.

"I did, but I wanted to ask you out for old times sake — and I swear, that's the last time its going to happen like that." I promise, crossing my fingers in the shape of an 'X' over my heart.

Lily rolled her eyes and walked off on her way back up the stairs, her hair swinging from side to side as she walked. I just needed to get one more thing out in the air. I knew that the Marauders were looking at the two of us like I was growing a second head, but right now I didn't seem to notice that they were even in the room.

"Oy, Evans!" I called, hoping that she would just turn around. She did, with a look of anger on her face and I felt guilty for keeping her from her book and bed, but she needed to know something. "I promise that you're going to go on at least one date with me, and then I'll leave you alone for the rest of your life." I promised her again, and making the promise to myself.

Lily's face-mask seemed to falter somewhat, a small glint of wider and hope coming into her eyes.

I smiled kindly then got up, brushed passed her and made my way to my own dormitory, smiling the entire way up the stairs and into the room that I shared.

I changed into my pajamas, the cotton pants brushing past my skin lightly as I walked around, getting everything set up for classes in the morning. Mooney, Wormtail and Padfoot walked in automatically making Frank feel like the fifth wheel, and sat down on my bed with a bag of sweets in their hands. I smile and sat down with them, inviting Frank over as well, spending the rest of the night messing around with the voice changing sweets.

As I laid in bed that night and tossed and turned, I couldn't help but think about Lily. I knew that if what I had with her was just a crush, then I would have blown it off after first year — but I continued to push the envelope for seven years. I don't know what made me push for seven years, but whatever it is it was going to burn like a forest fire inside me for the rest of my life.

**I finally got this chapter done after so much thought and thinking, I'm not sure if I got James's Point of View on things completely correct but I do hope so… I know that for sure Lily's Point of View will come often, and I hope to have James's just as often as Lily's. **

**Thank you to those who reviewed for the last chapter! I didn't think that this story was going to be that great but you proved me wrong! I hope that you liked this chapter!!!**

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	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter Series, the wonderful J.K. Rowling does. **

**This chapter goes to: Lizzle09, lizzyathogwarts, merlin135, Faerie0975, Dawnfur, and .cullenx19x13 for reviewing for the last chapter, and to Faerie0975 for adding New Chances to their community. YOU GUYS ROCK! And to my friend OWL (what she wants to be called and remain anonymous.), for putting up with my ass and beta-ing this story now!!! YOU ROCK AND I MISS YOU!!!!!**

**Onto the story!**

**Lily Evans**

"Does anyone think that they might know that answer?" Professor Slughorn asked, holding up the glass vile showing the grey liquid sloshing around inside, raising his graying eyebrows.

My hand flew into the air, showing that I knew that answer to his question; me being one of three people to raise their hands. I could feel my shoulder hurting from the force that I was holding my hand in the air. Most of the students around me murmured to their neighbor whispering about what the answer could be, without even trying to look it up in their text books.

Severus on the other side of the room had his hand flailing in the air while looking through his book for the answer, just wanting to answer before I did. His hooked nose was touching the parchment that the book consisted of, his greasy hair falling on the pages in clumps of locks. Remus next to me was looking straight ahead to the front of the room, just keeping his hand high in the air and a look of contentment painted on his features. I had to smile, knowing that one of us was going to get to answer the question in the end.

"Ah, yes — Mr. Lupin, the answer please?" Professor Slughorn called.

I could hear Severus groan from the other side of the room, slouching in the back of his chair now sulking. I rolled my eyes at the childish gesture; sometimes it seemed so hard to believe that the two of us were best friends.

Remus looked up from under his eyelashes, and cleared his throat softly looking up to meet the professor's eyes at the front of the room. When he answered he spoke clearly and surely, not one ounce of doubt in his voice. "That, Professor, would be Instant Death — the most deadly potion that is known to the wizard world." He continued, listing the facts of how he knew what potion it was that Slughorn held.

Once Remus had finished his small speech he looked at me from the corner of his brown eye, an d I couldn't help the small smile that was tugging at the corners of my lips. Remus smiled in return and looked to the front of the room where Professor Slughorn was giving the homework assignment.

"Alright class, I want each and everyone of you to write me an essay on wolves bane, no shorter than three rolls of parchment and no longer than five rolls." He instructed, setting down the glass flask causing his red robes to drag on the floor.

Several students groaned at the thought of homework on the first week back at school, Severus being one of them, but honestly I was expecting it. The Potions Professor did tend to give homework out to the advanced students more and he did give out the assingments when most students didn't want them. I rolled my eyes and wrote down the assignment on a spare piece of parchment and set it in my bag, knowing that I placed all my homework assignments there, and waited for the class to be dismissed.

"Oh, and I would like for the assignment to be turned in on my desk first thing when you walk in the room next week. Class dismissed." He ended, one arm going up to show that he was done for the day, and everyone began to file out of the room, murmuring profanities on their way out the door.

I slung my messenger bag over my shoulder and picked up my potions book, cradling it in my arms as I jumped down from my seat. I pushed my red hair off to on shoulder and walked up to Professor Slughorn at his desk, preparing for the next class to come in. I stood there for a moment, then cleared my throat to grasp his attention.

The old man turn, his jelly-like belly bouncing and hitting the edge of his desk as he turned around to face me. His aged face was set deep in wrinkles and his silver walrus like mustache was beginning to reach his chin. His hazel eyes brightened considerably when he saw that it was me standing at his desk.

"Lily Evans, to what do I owe the pleasure of speaking with you on this fine morning?" Professor Slughorn asked on his deep and throaty voice. The smile on his face was bright, but his teeth were hidden away by his large lips.

I couldn't help but smile at his everlasting cheerful mood in the dark times that our world is going into. My lips pulled back and away from my teeth, showing them right at my favorite professor at the school.

"Aw… there's that wondrous smile that I missed over the Summer holiday." He quipped after, his smile still in place.

"Actually, Professor, I wanted to speak with you about something…" I started, my tone hesitant. He nodded showing that I can go on whenever I wished. I breathed in through my nose and let it all out though my mouth before I went on speaking. "Is it alright if I not be a part of the Slug Club this year?" I asked quickly, making my question run into one word.

Professor Slughorn raised his silver eyebrows in question, taken completely by surprise by my question. He always loved having me in his Slug Club ever since I was in my fourth year and was old enough to be in it, along with several of my closest girl friends. I had fun at the parties and the after class get-togethers, but this year I wanted to focus hard on my studies and to try my best to be a Auror like I want. It wasn't easy going to school and then wanting to leave and be a dark wizard catcher, and taking mostly advanced classes at the same time.

Professor Slughorn let his eyes brows knit together now, his wrinkles on his forehead deepening immensely and his small eyes becoming even less visible then they already were before from all the loose skin falling.

He opened his mouth to voice his opinions per my request. "But, Lily, I love having you in my little club and seeing you smile when I have dinner here in my office and so on; why would you want to not be a part of it this one and final year here at Hogwarts?" He asked, his forehead creasing even more if possible. I couldn't help but mentally groan that he listed what I already knew he was going to say about me being in the Slug Club before.

"Well, sir, I want to focus mostly on my studies and not really be worrying about if I missed a meeting or I went and forgot that I had a homework assignment to finish or start. I'm taking most advanced classes, and I really want to become a Auror after school, and I don't think that I can find the time in my schedule to be worrying about the Slug Club." Professor Slughorn's face seemed to drop, and it seemed as if he Santa-like aura dimmed considerably. I realized that he thought I hated being in the club and that I thought that it was a waste of my time and thought… and I had to explain.

"Oh, no it's not like that at all Professor, it's just that I really love the slug Club the three years that I was in it, it's just that I want to focus more on getting better grades this year and to meet my own expectation of becoming an Auror when school is released. And me being Head Girl and all that isn't helping the situation either, sir." I explained in a quick whisper, my lungs running out of breath.

Professor Slughorn seemed happier at the fact that it wasn't him or the club that was making me quit, but my complicated life that I lived. A chuckled escaped past his large lips, and his belly jiggled and jostled at his action, giving him the perfect picture of Santa Clause when he laughs. I smiled at the sight.

Once his loud bouncing chuckles were pushed aside, Professor Slughorn began to speak. "Of course, Lily," He spoke, his tone happy and joyful once again, "but I will keep your place open just in case you decide to grace us in a meeting or dinner. And I won't hear any arguments against it." Professor slug horn looked at me sternly to show that there was no room for pressing the subject any longer.

I sighed heavily, not quite happy with the response that he gave me from my request. Although I smiled sweetly, showing my teeth, and let my the slightest dimples show and nodded in my thanks. The professor smiled, and bid me a good day and week, saying that he was looking forward to getting my report in next week.

I turned on my heel and walked in the direction of the door, holding the note that Professor Slughorn had written me just in case that I was late for my Transfiguration class.

I took the stair two at a time up the spiral stair case out from the confines of the dungeon and the small amount of light opened up into the great stair cases that were moving and held above my head. Several students were still bustling about, trying to get to their next class before they were late and received a detention on their first week; several first years yelling about for directions to this chamber and that.

I climbed the appropriate stair cases and took a shortcut through a portrait leading into the Transfiguration Court Yard, still several students lounging about and most running around looking at the parchment that was in their hands looking for their next classroom. I walked across the emerald green grass, knowing that it wasn't going to stay that green for long, and came into an open corridor window-like opening on the left side letting in the sun light and having the fresh air come in. I saw around the corner the Transfiguration doors with Professor McGonagall waiting outside to monitor the activities going on in the Court Yard.

The grand oak doors lead into the large room, with the desks lined up in straight rows and her desk at the head of the room with several animals in cages calling and squawking.

"Morning Professor." I greeted as I passed my Head of House and Deputy Headmistress.

McGonagall turned up her wrinkled lips in a slight smile, her thin petal color lips closed tightly. Her wrinkles seemed to have gone even deeper over the Summer Holiday and her eyes were even smaller then before.

"Good morning Miss Evans." She greeted in return, showing me to enter her classroom with a wave of her hand. I smiled and nodded and walked into the class room taking one glance to see of anything was a drastic change in the familiar room that I loved to be in.

Nothing seemd to change other than the fact that several new animals were added to some cages, and the lesson for the day was up on several different black boards that blocked the desk that I knew was in the front of the classroom. I smiled and took a seat in the around the middle of the class, not wanting to be too close to the front and not way far in the back. I placed my messenger bag on the ground to the left and pulled out one blank roll of parchment and a quill with a well of ink and placed it in front of me, ready to take notes at any moment.

I could hear the large doors close from behind me and Amy took a seat to my right, smiling as she sat down. Her white teeth as usual were pearly white and perfectly straight, and her pale skin was beautiful against her strawberry blonde hair.

Professor McGonagall walked into the front of the room, her back robes billowing behind her as she walked down the center walkway, and straight to the several blackboards in the front of the room.

"Good morning class." Professor McGonagall greeted once she reached the front of the room, turning around to face all of us. "Let's start with today's lesson…" and the long day began.

~*~

"Ugh! I think that my back is permanently going to have a hunch!" Annie complained as she sat down at dinner, rolling her shoulders dramatically.

I smiled and let a small giggle get passed my lips and rolled my eyes into the turkey in front of me, shaking my head. She always was overly dramatic over the smallest things. I looked up from my dinner and looked at my friends, all doing the same thing that I just did.

Annie looked at the four of us in utter shock, her lips forming the most perfect 'O'. Her eyes seemed to have quite the dumbstruck look in their depths, and I couldn't help but open up my mouth a laugh.

No, laugh would be an understatement—I full out opened my mouth and let the dorky, snorting, trills of laughter erupt from my throat. The snort rang through my nose every fifteen seconds but I didn't seem to care, all I did was cover my mouth with my right hand and continue laughing. Marry, Amy, and Alice were laughing loudly as well as was Annie in the end.

"Oh, Annie, you silly girl." Alice mused, her laughter set aside for now. "You should have seen the look on your face when you said that, it was so hilarious that we couldn't help ourselves." She still had small giggles coming out from her mouth. She raised her hand and politely covered her mouth to not make Annie feel as bad.

"Terribly sorry, dear." Amy apologized, lightly touching Annie's arm sympathetically.

"Really," I paused and looked at the other two girls. They still seemed to still have a laugh or two built up in their systems. "Or, at least I am." I continued giggling again. Annie threw her head back and laughed again, then she suddenly stopped and looked at the head of the Great Hall.

"Shh, girls." She hushed. "I think that Dumbledore is going to say something." She continued, flailing her arms like a drowning bird trying to get us to stop giggling like the school girls we are.

I shut my mouth and looked towards the head of the room as well, only to find that our Headmaster was standing at the owl, waiting for the students to shut-up.

Several other students began to quiet down their friends, the loud booming of conversations going down to a light murmuring buzz throughout the room. I shifted in my seat slightly, the nerves taking over my body.

"I don't understand," Alice muttered quietly under her breath, sliding closer to my left side, "if the Headmaster wanted to say something, why didn't he do it one the first night back?" She asked, looking around us to see if anyone knew the answer to her question. I shook my head slightly, hoping to dear God that it wasn't the worst of news.

"Alright, students, please settle down." Dumbledore shushed. In an instant the buzz of conversation was gone. "Thank you. Now today, as some of you may have noticed, we are missing one of our fine seventh year students. This student's name is, Victoria Doge and she was in the Hufflepuff House." Instantly the murmuring started up again. _Oh, Merlin, she was taken by Death-Eaters, _was my wonderful conclusion, but I didn't want to share it with anyone; they most likely had the same answer I did. "Now, I want you all to know now, that she is safe from harm." Dumbledore clamed, holding up his hand to quiet the constant maybe's of what happened to her.

"Victoria was taken home last night by her parents when she was in the hospital wing for a prank that Peeves had pulled. Her mother and father found Hogwarts _unfit _to protect her from the Dark Magic that is rising and the dark times that we know are coming ahead of us. She will not be returning to the school this year as will several other students per request of the parents. Keep in mind children, some of you may be seventh or sixth years, but you are still naïve and young children, and right now _you_—all of you in front of me—are Lord Voldemort's greatest weapon he has."

"_He said his name!_" Annie hissed from beside me in utter astonishment. I shook my head disapprovingly, wanting to know what Professor Dumbledore had to say about You-Know-Who.

"If he gets the chance, he will use you to use against un in the war that we have with him; he will manipulate your thoughts and mind, and he will not treat you lightly either. Don't let someone take the only thing that can give us hope that you, students, can rid the world of these dark and dangerous times. Know what good you have inside you… Now off to bed, go on. Pip pip." He stepped down from the stand and went back to the staff table.

The murmuring began once again when the speech was over, several students voicing their opinion, the first years confused about what it was meant to mean, and the Slytherins saying how it was to be expected of a great wizard such as You-Know-Who to use students. I pushed aside fifth and fourth years, looking around for the first years in the thick crowd of students going back to their Common Rooms. I needed to b sure that they were going to head in the right direction and go up the right staircases other than going to the Ravenclaw Common room or the Hufflepuff. I saw several of them sticking together in one large group going up the stairs, several of them making sure to look up before they took a stair case.

I entered the Common Room, only to find Potter waiting for me over my a wooden desk where Remus was working on his Potions homework, his head hunched over with his quill scratching constantly against the parchment. I tried to stifle the eye roll with little success. I knew what was coming up next and I wasn't going to be an eager beaver when it came t Potter asking me out, _again_.

"Alright Evans?" James asked as I passed him, not giving him even a sideways glance out from the corner of my eye. I mentally groaned, throwing my head back and yelling to Merlin _"Why!? Why did he have to pick ME?" _

I turned on my heel to face him, wanting to see his face fall like dung when I said no. "What do you want Potter?" I asked, crossing my arms tightly over my chest. I wasn't quite in the mood for his games at the moment, and I still had my rounds to make before I went off to bed.

James pushed off the table with his elbow and come sauntering over in my direction, his crimson and gold tie swinging from side to side. Both of his hands were buried deep inside his pocket and I couldn't help but smirk at the sight. He stopped when he was standing right in front of me, my head reaching to the start of his tanned neck.

"I was wondering if you wanted to spend this Saturday with me, walking around on the grounds and just talking?" He asked, rocking back and forwards on the balls of his feet, his bright ice-blue eyes downcast and looking at the carpet.

I could say that I was shocked that he just didn't blurt right out "Go out with me, Evans" like he knew was telling me that it wasn't an option that I go on a date with him. He seemed slightly nervous this time when he asked, and he was being more of a gentleman and polite. My arms slacked to my sides from my shock, and my eyes widened slightly. I opened my mouth to give him a possible "Maybe" as an answer then a sudden realization hit me like a stunning hex.

_WAIT! This is James Potter; the same James Potter that plays pranks on a daily basis and the same James Potter that has been rude and inconsiderate since the day you met him! He's just trying to act different to prove some stupid point to his mates. Don't give in. _

I brought my arms back up once again, not wanting for James to see that I was just about to give into this little act that he's pulled together. "I'll go on a date with you, Potter, when hell freezes over." I smirked again and walked off, going up the stairs and into my dormitory.

I closed the wooden door quietly, and once I heard the slight click of the door I pressed my back up against it and breathed in through my mouth. I closed my eyes and tried to imagine that I didn't just nearly give James Potter—_the James Potter_—a possible yes to go out with him. I heard the rumors of how he treated the girls that had agreed to go out with him to Hogsmeadeand it wasn't the knight in shining armor dream one bit. Why in the world would I nearly say yes to that bouncing baboon?

"Bloody hell, Lily. You look like the Giant Squid came out from the Back lake and said 'Hello, my name in Herman.'" Alice commented.

My eyes snapped open and saw my four friends sitting in Annie's bed looking at _Witches Weekly _magazine, Alice being the only one that saw me come in.

"I-I.. I don't know, honestly." I admitted in a small voice.

Amy moved over closer to Mary and patted the spot that she was just occupying, inviting me to sit and talk about what happened. I walked across the room the Annie's bed and sat in the spot made for me, flopping down all the way on my back having my hair fan out on the side.

"What the ruddy hell happened to you?" Mary asked, running her small fingers through my hair. I closed my eyes again and opened my mouth to speak.

"I think that I just nearly gave James Potter a possible maybe on going out with him just now, and I don't know what the hell to do!" I complained rolling over to sit on my stomach.

"WHAT!?" The four of them yelled at the same time. I cringed into the red sheets that covered the mattress slightly.

Mary was te first one to recover from my confession. "What do you mean, Lils?" she asked in a calm and collected voice. I sat up and looked at my four friends, my hearts seemed to squeeze when I saw their faces.

"It's just that, I think that he's changed over the Summer Holiday, and I don't know what do to. When I walked in he didn't flat out demand that I go out with him, more of a question and I had an option. He was nervous and being a complete gentleman about it… I don't know what the hell to do!" I repeated for the second time.

"What did you say?" Annie asked, jumping up and down with her excitement.

"I said that I would go on a date with him when hell freezes over, then I walked off and come up here." I admitted. I could feel my gut flip at my own words and I saw for just a moment how cruel and rude they sounded. I felt sick.

"Aw, that's a bit harsh don't you think?" Alice asked, looking sad at the words I had selected to give James.

"I know, but I don't want to end up like al those other girls that he's dated and just be thrown away I've already fel—" I stopped mid sentence not wanting for my friends to know that I was friends with Severus. "I feel horrible about it now, yes, but I don't know what to do… He seems like a better _man _this year… He's different." I confessed, looking at my hands as I spoke the words that I never thought would come out from my mouth.

I could hear Amy gasp softly from across the small four poster bed. "You like Potter." She whispered in complete astonishment.

My head snapped up at the three words that would never be meant for me, completely astounded that she even came to that preposterous conclusion. I would _never _like a prat such as James Potter, never. My mum and dad taught me to have better standards then that. He was a prat and a complete git, who didn't have a care in the world over what is going on, as long as he gets a good laugh out of it.

"What? That's preposterous Amy. I would never like James Potter; you know how he is… it's cruel and horrible." I tried to reason, but the look on Amy's face showed my she knew different.

"Don't try that with me Lily Evans." She scolded. "You know that you like James Potter and that's the reason why you nearly said maybe to his question. If he was going to treat you like any other girl then he would have given up long ago on going out with you, but he pushed and pushed for _seven years_ and even when you were constantly saying no, he was still asking you at every chance he got. Now either he has the largest ego to world has ever seen—don't say it—" She ordered once I opened my mouth to make a comment on his ego, "or he really wants you to give him a chance and just go on one date. Now, if I were you, I would give the man a chance; who knows? Maybe he did change over the holiday, maybe he didn't? But, all I'm asking Lily is that you give Potter one date." She held up on finger to place her own emphasis on one.

I sighed and slumped my shoulders slightly, I knew that she was right, but I wasn't going to be one to admit it. "Who in this room thinks that I should give Potter one chance?" I asked. All four girls raised their hands, and I scowled at them hoping that they go into the firing pits of Hades for that. "I'm not going to go down there and say yes tonight!" I yelled throwing a pillow at Amy.

"No, but you are going to go down there and apologize." Annie corrected. I sighed again. _Why on earth do they have to be so stubborn?_

"Here," Alice jumped slightly as she scooted closer to the middle of her bed. "we'll give you two months to go on that date with Potter, and two months is all you have. When the first of December comes around then you have to go on the date, whether you like it or not."

Two months? That's all? Couldn't I have until Christmas holiday or something? Well, I could only have one month… or one week… or one day… or an hour. Two months was as good as it was going to get.

I sighed and nodded my head, closing my eyes and wishing that this was all a dream and that I was going to wake up at any given moment. I even bit the inside of my cheek, nothing. Damn.

"Alright, now I have to go and make my rounds, and apologize to Potter for what I said." I excused.

I rose from the four poster bed and threw the second pillow at Annie for making me apologize and walked out from the room.

_These are going to be the shortest two months _ever. I thought bitterly as I walked down the stairs.

**I finished this chapter! I look forward to getting some reviews and see what you guys think!!!**

**Beta note: WOO! I'm a beta now o. Devan. Sorry if I missed anything, but as I once said to my friend here, "I feel sorry for your readers... they have to read those never ending chapters, and then remember it all later." Now I'm allowed to feel sorry for myself, because I have to edit it all. But it's completely awesome. I burst out laughing at the part about the giant squid being named Herman.... Oh and the part where Lily was thinking about the amount of time James asked her out, reminded me of when I gave Devan an 'X' amount of time to dump her suckish BF. Well, as usualy, my buddy did a great job writing.^^ sorry if this note is exetremly long o.o. Hope to be hearing about those reviews!!!**

** Author's Note: Agreed! Want some reviews people!**

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	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Harry Potter Series, but I do own all the unneeded crap that goes with it!!!!!**

**This Chapter Goes to: HarryPotterRocks09, Lizzle09, lizzyathogwarts, merlin135, and Dawnfur for reviewing for Chapter Three and giving me such great compliments on my writing (even though it's not as good as you guys think it may be…) **

**Alright, and it looks like that I need to settle some things that you guys are thinking about this story: **

**1) I don't plan on quitting on New Chances, nor the sequel that's coming up after.**

**2) I don't have all the time in the world so I can't update every day or every other day; I want to have 3,000-4,000 word chapters each and that takes time, not to mention that my beta has to read them as well. **

**3) DO. NOT. DELETE. THIS. STORY. OFF. YOUR. ALERT. UNLESS. YOU. DECIDE. THAT. IT'S. NOT. GOOD. (or you see that it's not as good as you guys make it out to be.) **

**4) I added alot more than originally because I felt like you guys needed something... and I hope that you're alright with it! ENJOY!**

**Onto Lily and James now!**

**James Potter**

I sat quietly in my four post bed, with my hands behind my head, staring mindlessly at the red curtains that were draped over the four wooden posts that made up the rectangle on the top. The rest of the Marauders were down in the Common Room finishing up on a few things, and I had claimed to being slightly tired and waning to turn in for the night. I had gotten my Hoe Work done early and every roll of parchment was sitting in my school bag on the chair to my right. My tie was thrown onto the surface of my trunk, along with my trousers, robes, and shirt; I knew that Mooney would complain about having a messy room when he came up, but I didn't care at the moment…

My ever-slowing train of thought was focusing on just one single subject. Lily. It seemed as if she was always on my mind these days, and the few and rare times she wasn't just the smallest of reminders would have her jump right back on the never-stopping train. I knew that I thought about her so much, and that I thought highly of her—something inside me was telling me that I was thinking too little of her, that I wasn't seeing the big picture that was right in front of my eyes.

I loved everything about that woman. The way that she would start to run her slender fingers through her rich, and thick hair when she was taking a test—then suddenly stop when her palm was in the perfect position to cup the crown of her head perfectly. How shoe would fold her arms just under he bust when she was being her normal stubborn as a mule's arse and set her lips in a pout. The way that she would throw her head back—every hair on her head flowing like blood down her robes—and let one of her rare and musical laughter run loose in the air and let others enjoy it all and drink it in. she would snort and giggle after words sending her into another snort and the process would continue until she had calmed down. Every flaw her personal held, every blink of an eye she gave, every eyelash she bats, every step her feet take ahead of her, just _everything _that she is, its bloody perfect for me in every way that I could think of.

She had hurt my ego and pride slightly earlier today, but I couldn't give a flying squid's arse. Then, just suddenly, she strutted down the small staircase and looked me in the eyes and apologized for her actions; her exact words were "I was crude and it was completely uncalled for and unfair to you for me to take my recent anger out on you. You didn't deserve to have that certain remark given to you for just asking a simple question that requires such a simple answer."

I couldn't help the grin that spread over my face at the way she was so formal when she was trying not to be "ride and inconsiderate" around me. I _had _seen Lily Evans be herself completely only once, at it was the sight to see; she was laid-black and completely care-free for once in her life and she didn't have a care in the world. In that one small moment I had caught a glimpse of the _real _Lily Evans and what she can be when she doesn't have the slightest care just for one second. That day was so many years ago by the Black Lake when I saw what she can be, when we were both thirteen.

_I doubled over laughing from the hex that I just gave to Snivellus and his stupid little clan of mates that he held. I had to begin to clutch the sides of my torso from the pain of laughing too much. I leaned up against a tree with my right arm and let my left hand continue to stay glued to my side. _

_I heard a snort and I looked up to the edge of the Black Lake. The snort went off again and I could hear that it was the same person that I heard just a moment ago that gave a snort away. The snort was given to me a third time, only this time it was followed by a laugh—no, not a laugh it was a giggle; a girlish, high, joyous giggle. I could feel my eyebrows pull together in one at the question of who might be laughing so hard, and who was making this girl laugh like this? _

_I could both hear and see Mooney shaking his head at me at saying the Muggle words "_Curiosity killed the cat, Prongs._" but I knew better than anyone that my retort would be that satisfaction brought him back. My wonder reached its peek in my mind and I just had to know who this girl was and to see if I knew her. _

_I let me body slightly roll on the surface of the tree and peer around the massive trunk to find a red haired girl sitting on the edge of the Black Lake with an open book in her lap, only her green eyed gaze wasn't looking down at the book, it was looking up to a boy in front of her. The boy had black hair that was kept very untidy, and his robes were slightly worn out, but fairly new compared to some students at the school. His skin held an even Summer Holiday tan, and was slightly glowing at the sight in front of him. _

_The girl was laughing at the boy as his ever deep voice seemed to be overly dramatic and he held his hand high and was shaking it slightly in front of the girl's face. I took one single cautious step closer to the strange pairing, straining my ears to hear what the dramatic boy was saying, and why the girl was laughing. Just that single step wasn't enough for my ears, so I took one more, then two and finally I was hiding peacefully behind a rock and letting my eyes probe over the top at the boy and girl. _

_I instantly recognized the girl as Lily, and she was a sight when she was laughing and giggling at the boy in front of her. Her nose would wrinkle when she snorted, I found it adorable and I wanted to be the one to make her laugh like this. The only one. _

_I was now angry at the strange boy that still stood in front of her as he made her laugh. No, I wasn't angry at him, I was instantly jealous of him. He was the one that made Lily Evans laugh, really laugh and for her to blush suck a dark shade of red that she should be a tomato. He made her laugh so hard that I was positive that should she be drinking pumpkin juice that it would be coming out from her nose in long streams, then she would be laughing once again at the insane reaction her body made to her laughing. _

_I couldn't help but smile at just how wonderful she looked being carefree and not having one iota in this world. _

"Oy, Prongs, d'ya want to give Snivellus a little 'Welcome to Seventh Year/Hell' greeting?" Sirius asked form his bed to my left. His question broke me from the long train of the memory that is one of many imbedded into my mind forever that contained Lily.

I blinked once and shook my head, bringing my arms out from under my skull and sitting up in the process. I looked around and saw that Sirius, Peter, and Remus were all here and looking at me like I had gone all loony.

The rest of that night was spent keeping Lily as far away from my mind as possiblef—not that it helped me at all. I just wanted to spend one of my few nights that I knew would be free from Quiditch or homework, classes, detentions, or trying to make it appear to Lily that I've changed. The four of us laughed about things that we have done to others' in the past, what we could do to those few this year, and what we _would_ do when we got out from Hogwarts.

When Wormtail was the first to answer the question, to say that I was shocked was the largest understatement ever created in the world.

"Well, I want a good job that pays great, and keeps me completely protected from You-Know-Who, ya'know? To the point where he can't touch me no matter what I do or what I say… that's all that I really want in a job." Peter answered, knowing what he already wanted in the job that didn't exist.

"_Are you out of you're bloody mind!?_" Sirius yelled, being the first to voice what he was thinking from what Peter said. I knew that Remus was going to be the second, but for some odd reason he was still in the shock from what Peter said.

You could see Peter flinch closer into his seat from the harsh tone that Sirius used to voice his thoughts, and his body began to shake from the fear building up quickly inside his body. I stifled the urge to roll my eyes at how ridiculous that was. He had been one of us for seven years and he was still the small coward that he was when the four of us all met.

"The only job that will get you protection from You-Know-Who and pays you excellent money to the point where you're locked in for life, is to work for You-Know-Who himself!—" Sirius continued but Remus finally regained from his shock.

"And that is the one thing that the Marauders have sworn off to do! We swore that we will never work for You-Know-Who no matter what the world come to in the end, that we would keep fighting until we died." Remus continued, bringing up the memory of the four of us swearing on the map that we would rather die than to fight for Voldimort and take the cowardly way out.

Peter stuttered through what his reasoning behind his wants and needs, some blubbering that they were so simple in ways and that it wouldn't really be all that hard to protect him and pay him good money. What Peter didn't see was that you had to have the money for the protection, and some people who worked even in the Ministry of Magic had neither.

"Peter, my dad came home one day over the holiday saying how hard this one man works to support is pregnant wife. He doesn't allow her to work, and they make just enough money to hardly get by! And this man works at the Ministry! They don't _always_ give money and protection, most of the time only money!" I explained. It was true, Dad did come home talking about this man and how hard he works and how he even takes work home and looks at Muggle artifacts that he finds interesting, and he still is just managing to get by on all of his expenses. It was a sad thing, and the fact that he worked to help wizards understand the Muggle world better wasn't helping either. "What you don't see is that there is not one single job out there that can give you that, Peter, and of there was it would be filled in a heart beat or less." I continued.

"Peter, don't you see what world we, as wizards live in now? And what we as students can do to change what is going to happen in five—ten years time? What we do now, the choices that we make, will lead us down a path that can lead to what we were once more peaceful and not worrying if anyone we know or love is going to get killed when you come home from work or it can lead us into dark and desperate tomes where all wizards and witches are in hiding because they live in fear. The most intellectual wizards and witches are mostly Muggle-born, because they find out world interesting and want to know so much about it as they can, and they won't be able to come to school to learn and such and be left on the streets to die, or be killed right there. Do you see that people like me and Lily Evans would be killed at a moments notice for standing up, and we would be crushed and have nothing if those Dark Times were to happen." Remus lectured slightly giving off the tone of a professor.

The image of Lily running all of England trying to keep away from Voldimort, never staying in one place for too long. Walls being put up around her heart and giving her trust to a small select few, and even then she would still be wary of that select few. Or she wouldn't even be Lily Evans, new Muggle name with a non-magic husband and acting like she never even knew that wizards were real. Then she would be completely ordinary and not the Lily that wanted to change the world and to die trying and to prove her rights as a witch and a woman. Or, she would cease to exist.

Remus cringed in closer to his body at the mental image of Lily being as he said, and I followed his example at the same thought. I didn't need to have that image in my mind of her being gone or living a normal no-magic life with a fake husband that she wouldn't love no matter what.

I didn't need to picture of the fire in her eyes being gone and replaced by a broken soul and spirit, having no reason whatsoever to live if she couldn't have her life of her being the witch that she was meant to be. Her milky skin being an sickly pale and her cheeks being sunken in from her running at every chance that she got. Her hair being matted and most likely cut to the point where it wasn't as bad as a bother to keep clean, mud and leaves being caked into the gorgeous red locks. Her wand never being in her hand again, not being able to defend herself as a witch and give her rights as to being one should she have even gotten that far.

It was all too horrible.

How she would never move her hands in simple gestures whenever she was answering a question in class, and that she would blink every few seconds. Her creamy skin would be stone cold and as white as snow on the grounds when Christmas Day rolled around at the end of the year. Her green eyes that always held fire and passion be dead and lifeless… and a scar forming right where the green light hit her body, causing her life to be taken from the world…

I shoved the though from my mind for the rest of the night, not wanting to think about it to dampen my time with my best mates with the few moments that we would have not doing homework, have detention, trying to impress some girl, Quiditch, or trying to be sneaky about or practical jokes on others.

The night was filled with memories that we'll never forget, some stories that will never get old, and laughs that have happened to us all. Remus revisited the time when he was scared about being a werewolf and how he was on making friends and then telling us that he was a creature of the night that can kill us ever so easily. The time when he was a small boy that didn't know how to handle being what he was… but, because of Sirius, Peter, and I those times were behind him.

Sirius was doing what he wanted to do for the most part; embarrassing the black name and causing his parents to hate him and his Regulus be the favorite child. The only part that was missing was him fighting Death Eaters until he died. Remus wanted to held small wizard children cope with them being a werewolf and to let them know that everything would be alright in the end for them; that not all the world was going to turn their backs on them. And I wanted to rid the world of Death Eaters or die trying.

When Sirius mentioned the newest letter that his mother sent him that consisted of 'why can't you be more like your brother?' and insults on how he can't be a Black brought up a new round of memories; one being when he knocked on my door two years ago.

_The knocking at the front door broke me from my looking at the letter that Moony had sent me just now. I ignored the loud banging, thinking that Mum would get it and tell me who it was in the morning. Then a thought popped into my head: Who would be at our door at eleven o'clock at night? _

_The answer was simple and I wanted to deny it so much but it was the most logical; Death Eaters. The Potters' were done for, gone. We fought against You-Know-Who for too long and now we're being finished off by one of those disgusting wizards that are proud to be fighting for Him. _

"James Potter! _You get that arse down here this instant!" I heard my mum cry from the entry way… _

_So, it wasn't some Death Eater coming to kill us, but still who would be here this late at night? None of Dad's relatives were coming until next Summer, and Mum's parents hardly ever paid us a visit. _

_I frowned and threw the letter down at the dark wood of my desk, scowling deeply as I opened the door to my room and flew down the stairs. I came to the landing when I saw the reason that my mother called me down here. _

_There standing in the middle of our living room was Sirius with drenched clothes and his school trunk at his feet. His black hair was dripping wet and the water fell onto the area rug that Mum bought for herself as a birthday present, and his clothes were clinging to his frame from the water soaked in them. Water was going in small streams of their own down his face, making it seem that he was crying fresh-water tears. _

"_Padfoot?" I question as I rounded the corner and jumping the last three stairs and running inot the living room. "What the bloody hell are you doing here when it's nearly midnight? I know that your mum doesn't like you, but I don't think that she would approve of this—" _

"_I left. I ran away. I can't take it anymore, Prongs, and I just packed up and left. She was lecturing me on how I was meant to be more like Regulus and how I'm not a good son to them and bring nothing to the Black name." Sirius didn't move his face from the serious mask that it held. _

_My mother dropped to her knees and pulled Padfoot into a tight hug, right as my father walked into the room. She knew that Sirius had a horrible life and he was never accepted for who he was in his house and his parents loathed every choice that he made. _

"_Sirius, what in Merlin's name are you doing her this late?" Dad questioned as he stood next to me. _

"_Oh, he ran away and thought that he would come here Charles." Mum answered, rising from her knees and looking at Dad like she was pleading with him. "Sirius, you can stay here as long as you want, you're always welcome into our home, no matter what and no matter how late it may be. Now, James, held Sirius get his things up the stairs and into the guest bedroom—you can stay there Sirius. We'll take you to King's Cross and take you to Diagon Alley to purchase your school supplies and even get you those new robes that I know you need almost as desperately as James does." Mum continued to talk about what they were going to do all the way up the stairs, saying that she was going to do all the things that his parents were meant to do, but I knew that Padfoot had no intentions of ever going back. _

Sirius was never a black, he was always more of a Potter and always will be a Potter no matter what happened… all of the Marauders were part of my family no matter the times that we lived in.

*******

"Just try to be polite and remember to be a gentleman and _not_ seem like you haven't changed at all. If she says no then just accept the answer and try again in about a week and a half or so, and ask her again. If you do that then it shows her that you have accepted and when you ask again it makes you seem like you gave her some time to think about it and you change just slightly every time." Remus whisper hoarsely into my ear as me mad our way up one of the last marble stair cases to the portrait of the Fat Lady.

I nodded my head hoping that this was going to be The Night, as I hoped every time I asked this question. I allowed my hand to trail up mindlessly the marble railing to my right as we continued on our way up the stairs, hoping that it'll somehow clear my head. But, a usual, all my thoughts were trained on Lily and what she would say tonight when I asked my normal question, and maybe this night will be different.

I needed to behave like a complete gentleman and show her that I am worth just one yes and to be worth just one night of her time. If Lily thought that I changed over the holiday—which I did—then maybe, just maybe, she would give me one yes and I will die tomorrow a happy man. Remus knew how smart she was and was trying to find ways for me to seem even more changed then I was and for her to think about it even more and for her to realize it.

Three times this year I asked Lily out, three no's; three times taking pace over the course of five weeks. Having her say no three times hurt yes, but I never gave up and my ego (which Lily thinks is too big to be humanly possible.) and confidence never seemed to die out no matter what she did. But seeing the smallest changes in her when she walked into Defense Against the Dark Arts the next day was like watching Da Vinci paint the Mona Lisa all over again.

She would walk in and the smallest smile ever would tug at her lips right when she crossed the threshold of the room, and I could feel the warmth that it gave off from my seat. Her eyes would grow warm as well, and a new fire would be blazing in their depths, and fire that I've never seen her burn before; it showed great determination and power like she was waiting for the right moment to say something. Her cheeks would grow darker with the crimson blush that would begin to boil under her creamy white skin that was like a white rose's petal in full bloom.

Remus and I reached the portrait and thankfully got in without any incident of her trying to accomplish some task and refusing to open the door and let us in.

We came out of the portrait hole just in time to see Lily strutting down the small spiral stair case with her book resting at her hip in one hand, and her nightly glass of water in the other. I knew what she was going to do, she's done it every night since she was twelve, Lily came down here to read some Muggle book that made her laugh and made her cry. I couldn't see the cover of tonight's book, only words that gave a small excerpt from the many pages between the covers. Tonight's attire for Lily's nightly reading was a purple tank top, that dipped about two and a half inches below her collarbone, her creamy white skin looking exquisite beneath the dark cotton. Black loose fitting cotton pant hung dangerously low on her pelvis, the dark color going on down to her feet that were adorned with white slippers that held her cute toes from the cold English air.

Lily's hair was in a somewhat tidy bun at the base of her skull, several loose strands found their way out and framed her heart shaped face making her appear as if a goddess before my eyes.

I swear by the time that I even reached the black trousers, I was drooling the English Channel at my feet.

Lily strolled over to the red velvet, overstuffed chair that was right by the blazing fire; the chair that she accompanied every night to read her book. Her hand reached out to the wrapped wood, brown side table right next to the chair and set the glass of water down on the surface. Lily sat in the seat of the chair and brought her legs up along with her to rest about three inches away from her chest. She brought both of her hands up to her chest and opened the pages of her novel, not even having placed a bookmark in there; the tattered spine held her place and showed that she's read the book many times before. She rested her hands on her knees and let the book fall comfortably right on the point where her kneecap joined with her femur.

I felt something jab lightly into my right side, but I paid it no mind—Lily deserved all the attention that my body held and more. The nudge came again, only this time it was slightly more forceful and like a push; still I held my eyes to the reading woman in front of me.

Oh, there's the Atlantic Ocean at my feet now…

Another attempt was made to grasp m attention from Lily, but this time the person reached down and pinched a small amount of skin tightly between their finger nails. The pain shot up my arm instantly, and I gasped quietly and grabbed the now pained spot. I glared loathingly at Moony who was smiling smugly.

He jerked his chin in the direction of the large red chair, trying to show me to just get it over with and get everything out of the way now rather than later.

I chafed my hand up and nown my arm, trying to stifle the pain just slightly. 'What!?/ I mouthed, not wanting to have Lily listening in on the silent conversation.

Moony rolled his lips into his mouth to form a tight and straight line, his brown eyes widened considerably as he gestured again to Lily in her chair. He wanted me to ask her, now.

'No!' I mouthed, air making it just slightly a whisper but quiet enough. I knew what I was doing and so did Moony; delaying the inevitable for just a few moments.

"Yes! And NOW!" Remus whispered hoarsely, and loudly trying to convince me. It didn't work. I shook my head violently, trying to show with out speaking just how nervous I was.

I had done this a thousand times over and a thousand times again, and not once had I been nervous about the simple question, then out of the blue it suddenly hit me. Seven years of building it up, and it was all crashing down on me now, why I don't know.

Moony sighed loudly through his mouth (probably trying to get Lily to look over here) and rolled his eyes at my childish behavior. He moved behind me and began to _push _me to the air chair, and hard. A slight airy chuckle was made from said chair and I froze and all my muscles bunched in anticipation. She heard us, it hit the fan, I was done for. Then she bent her head again and went back to her book, Lily's shoulders relaxing nicely. It was that blasted book again.

I took the chance of looking at her and saw her red hair shaking slightly and she shook her head. _The characters are doing something stupid and slightly amusing. _I rebuked myself, wanting me to be convinced. Again, I wasn't moved.

Remus gave another shove at my back, and I tried with everything that I had to pushed back—digging my heels into the carpet and trying to slow him down, but nothing worked. He continued to push me hard and harder, until I was about five feet from the chair, I panicked. My balance was lost and I began to fumble as Remus gave one final push and I nearly feel flat on my face. My left foot hit the ground hard, loud enough for Lily to hear from just two feet away now. I flailed my arms for just a moment, and somehow managed to regain my balance just in time for Lily to turn her head.

"James?" She asked, wary. I wanted to smile that she called me James and not Potter for one of the few times in my life.

I coughed nervously. "Er… yeah. Listen Lily, I know that I've asked a million and one times, but would you like to just sit and talk with me at dinner then just take a walk around the grounds and talk? I-I-I know that you most likely don't want to, but I swear that's all that I'm going to do, nothing funny." I defended quickly.

Lily's face gave into the real her for just one eighth of a second, all of her walls down and everything, but I imbedded it forever into my memory. Her eyes seemed to melt into a liquid emerald, and roses bloomed in her cheeks her skin growing hot. Her raspberry red lips lifted into a genuine smile and it seemed to light up and heat the room more than the fire did. Her perfect white teeth were like a long strand of pearls place in her mouth delicately.

Then, the eighth of a second was gone.

Her eyes became the jewels that they were before, onlt this time solid and like they never melted at all before. The roses that were blooming proudly in her cheeks died as if winter came, the red petals falling and no beauty being there in the end. Her warm and lighting smile turned into her biting down on her ripe bottom lip, and her upper hiding the pearls from view. All the walls around her heart, mind and soul were back up and you weren't getting in no matter who you werer or how hard you tried.

Lily let go o her lip from her teeth and chewed on the inside of her cheek, and my hoped rose five feet from the ground. She was considering everything and this time it just might be a yes if I got that lucky. She was considering all options, the pros and cons of her answer that she was going to give me. Finally she swallowed loudly.

"One date." The words seemed like the Hallelujah chorus to me. I smile broadly, not caring about her conditions, just happy to have what I wanted after seven be damned years!

"But, I—Lily Evans—get to decide whether it goes any further than that, and nothing you can do or say is going to change it; _those _are my conditions Potter." she warned, giving me the ever popular "Warning Finger" at me. I wanted to scoff, snort, roll my eyes, or something to show her that I got that finger three times too many.

I nodded, willing to agree to anything that she said or wanted from me.

We just took one large bound closer in our—so called—relationship.

**It's finished!!! YES! I hope that you guys like this chapter and that you're happy with the results! And some quick little notes: 1) It's only about the first week of October do Lily is now off the hook with her friends on her "bet". 2) Soon we get to find out a few confessions from Lily and why she just said yes and all that good stuff... 3) If I don't update, then I don't. Just wait for me and be patient (it's a virtue) and I'll update as soon as I can. These things take time people. **

**Beta Note: Who ever is dissing this story as my friend here has been telling me STOP! It's annoying the shit outta me and it's a good story! She doesn't own the BOOKS! She listened to them with her blind Grandmother on AUDIO! She's doing the best she can! Good story here and not EVERYTHING can be perfect... and some things are just better left of unanswered. HOPE YOU GUYS LIKED THE CHAPTER! PLEASE GIVE GOOD REVIEWS!**

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	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter Series, the wonderful and creative J.K. Rowing does.**

**This chapter goes to: Dawnfur, Lizzle09, katlin98, and lizzyathogwarts for REVIEWING for the last chapter (and I must say that I know you guys can do better than that on the reviews that you give… but I see that you guys are coming to your senses.) And to Owl: No, my birthday has yet to be celebrated and I GOT ALL THE BOOKS FOR THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS!!!!!! YES! All three! I'll mail them ASAP! Miss your ass! **

**Seriously poeple, read the Mortal Instruments series, starting with _City of Bones_ it's like Harry Potter only with demons and forbidden love! Already on the thrid book and I started the first on 9/29! And Nearly done too!!! EEK!**

**ONTO THE DATE!**

**Lily Evans**

I smiled al the time now; I smile when I wake up, when I enter the Great Hall for breakfast every morning, in the middle of class when I'm doing my work or getting a quick head start on my homework, but mostly I smile when ever I'm reading my novels. I smile most when I'm in the Common Room every night reading my novels that I stocked up on during the Summer Holiday; the only time of the day when I can stop and ponder about just _what _James is planning—and _not _worry about getting caught by a teacher.

I imagined anything and everything that my mind could come up with, from the simple evening to an elegant grand gala with dancing and music. But, I knew that it was only one date and it was the first, and not to mention that said date was with James Potter and he was never known as the romantic type around the school. James said that we would only be sitting with one another at dinner, then just spend the rest of the evening just talking and walking with each other.

"Well, look at you smiling like you just died and gone to heaven." Amy observed as I brushed my hair for the fifth time in twenty minutes. The bristles found not one knot or tangle in my hair, but I was still doubtful that my hair was truly free of tangles and perfectly smooth. There just had to be one small knot somewhere in this thick red hair!

I had already brushed my teeth—three times—and had placed a small container of breath mints in my front right pocket, just in case I got horrible breath after dinner. My face was free of blemishes, and not one blackhead was in sight on my creamy white skin. My eyelashes appeared to be long, thick, and black a night—the perfect eyelashes that every woman in the world strives for her entire life.

I rolled my eyes at Amy's feeble attempt to find out what my secret plans were for this evening, as she had been all week. I was trying to make it seem as if I was blowing off as nothing, as I have been doing to all of my friends all week wanting them to just let it go and let things come out all on their own.

"You have been smiling non--stop ever since Tuesday night; why—I have no idea." Mary joined in coming around her trunk with her hair pulled into a high ponytail .

I shrugged my shoulders, trying to diminish the smile that I knew was forming on my face, like a large neon sign that was flashing in bright pink _I'm hiding something and I'm doing a horrible job at hiding it. _"Oh, I'm just happy." I shrugged again, trying desperately to sound nonchalant.

"Happy about what exactly?" Alice questioned as she sat down on her red duvet and gingerly sprayed her perfume on the crook of her neck.

I shrugged again, loosing count of how many times my shoulders have risen in the past ten minutes, hoping that the four of them would just leave it alone. All week James was keeping a safe, respectable, distance away from me, giving me the time that I needed in order to think through things before tonight rolled around the corner. The only words that James uttered to me since the night that I said yes was spoken to me yesterday at the end of Charms.

_Professor Flitwick had just dismissed the class for the day, wishing us all a good weekend and for everyone to finish the homework that he assigned and for it to be on his desk bright and early Monday morning. _

_I stood from the wooden desk that I sat in every other day and threw my messenger bag over my shoulder, gathering all of my books from the surface of the desk. James sat behind me in the same place every time that we had this class together gathering his textbooks and the two that he borrowed from the library, with both of his quills touched neatly into his own bag. His hand reached out for the cork for his quill well and placed the brown object right on the lip of the bottle and pressed down, sealing it from leaking all over his parchment and text books. _

_The tendons in his arms stood out from the pressure that he was placing upon the cork, and I couldn't help but watch as the muscles in his arms stood out among his skin. The muscles stood out from his skin, making his arms look larger than I know that they were, and they showed my the glories of having a seeker's body like James had. _

_The blue eyes that belonged to James Potter caught my ugly greens and it seemed that as if they could look right through me and see what I was thinking and could see my soul, right there. His hands suddenly stopped moving and he paused, as if he were thinking of something that would be the right thing to say at a time like this. _

"_Well… I guess that I'll see you tomorrow." He muttered lowly, as if he weren't sure that I was going to keep my word and show up in the Great Hall tomorrow night. I wasn't even sure that I heard him correctly, he spoke the words so low under his breath that I could hardly understand them. _

_I was at a loss of words at that moment and could only nod my head mutely, like a complete moron and walk out of the room, trying not to look like I just met an actual God._

Now that I look back on it all, I seemed to be a completely different Lily Evans right there, like the one that everyone knew was gone and it was just the two of us… and I didn't like it.

I have been racking my mind for some sort of sign that James might have given me in some code or secret form, but nothing that he did seemed to be out of place or slightly abnormal in the slightest; he got up, ate, went to classes, studies, did his homework, even went to the library to get books, ate dinner, study down stairs and then went to bed—he hardly ever had time to pester people or frolic around the school hexing them as he pleased.

"So… I have to meet Frank down in the Common Room, and I don't want to be late to see him; I'll see you girls later. And I want to know the details of what you three can squeeze out of Lily by the time that you sit down in the Great Hall." Alice remarked as she walked out the door on her way to meet Frank.

I instantly began to panic at the thought of where James and I were going to sit; obviously with each other, bit was it going to be with my girls, his mates, strangers, or just… somewhere? Where the bloody hell were we going to sit?! He never let anything on so its not what I would call a no brainer… why did James Potter have to be so damn frustrating?!

"Alright, Evans, spill it." Amy demanded once I heard the door click closed quietly. I turned towards her and away from the mirror in front of me.

"What?" I asked, my eyebrows furrowing into one.

"I know that something is going on, and you need to spill. C'mon! Is it a guy? Ooh, I bet it is!" Amy began to rattle off on things of who he might be and what requirements he has to meet until Annie opened her mouth.

"Did you say yes to Potter yet?" She asked suddenly.

I froze.

What do you say to a friend that told you to go out with a certain guy, then the two of you want to keep it a secret? 'Uh, sorry Annie, but that's classified information'? She's bound to find out soon, and I didn't know if James told his mates or if he wanted to keep this all on the down low until we know where the hell this is going to go….

"I'm getting hungry, I'm just going to head right down to dinner. Coming?" I asked, getting up from the chair and bustling my way around the dormitory to reach the door. I turned in time to see Amy, Annie and Mary wipe the confounded looks off their faces in time to see all three of them shake their heads.

"Not ready yet, meet you down there." Mary answered, looking at me as if she knew that I wasn't going to be with them tonight.

~*~

I was shocked at the amount of students that were already seated eating in the Great Hall by the time that I reached there. All four tables were lined up parallel to each other and the houses sat at their designated table. Slytherin sat far off to the right, right next to Gryffindors, the Ravenclaws right next there and then Hufflepuff right on the edge to the left. The ends weren't as dense as the front and center of the tables were, and I could spot Alice and Frank sitting close together whispering sweet nothings into the others ear laughing at the front of the table.

Sirius Black sat about one third into the table, two other heads close to him. Remus was hardly visible through the thick black leather binding of the novel or text book that held his attention at the moment. I could see his brown hair hardly above the peek and to the sides of the cover. Peter was practically bouncing off the walls, and making it look as if his bladder was smaller than average—again. Sirius sat alone on one side of the table, his black hair falling into his eyes and covering his face slightly. His head was turned towards the end where the students weren't as close together as they were where his mates sat, his face was set into a deep scowl. I could feel my wonder growing at just _what _Sirius could be scowling at with such loathing.

As if with a mind of their own, my eyes trained to the area where Sirius's loathing glare was cast and was astonished at the sight in front of me. James Potter was sitting alone at the table, away from all others, and waiting for me. His blue gaze was fixed on me, sitting patiently for me to notice that he was right next to me and just waiting for our date to begin.

James cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to make the moment seem just slightly less tense, but I would have called it more of a comfortable silence… I didn't have to talk and neither did he in order to relive some of the tension that hung in the air. The green sweater that he wore for tonight was clinging to his body as if it was gripping on for life, each individual thread clung tightly to the skin on his chest and (I'm sure) washboard abs. His light wash jeans hung low on his hips and showed just a sliver of the brown leather belt that was holding them up. The jeans looked as if they were old and had been worn out for a while now but he refused to give them up because they were either his favorite pair or his lucky pair. I swear men…. Both hands were shoved deeply into the confines of his pockets like vampires and his head was hanging slightly as if from embarrassment or from shame of something.

I swear that I could feel my jaw hit the stone floor, cause it to crack, then crumble into dust at the sight of James in front of me. He was embarrassed to be seen with me—Lily Evans who was the smartest girl in seventh year and was the know-it-all over achiever that tried too hard and was in cahoots with Voldemort and she didn't even know it. He didn't want to do this after all… NO! James Potter was been trying to get you to go out with him for over four years now, why would he do that if it was only a bet? No, he means it this time and it's going to be great… it has to be.

"Er… I was thinking that we could sit here and just talk during dinner and then after we can walk around on the grounds if you want or I can just walk you to the dormitories…" James muttered nervously under his breath as he gestured towards the empty seat bedside his, the seat that I was meant to be in.

I swallowed loudly, trying to get the sudden lump in my throat to go down with it and go away, it didn't work. My mouth felt dry and tasted like old parchment, as if I hadn't brushed my teeth or had a glass of water in days. I opened my mouth to speak, trying to force the words out.

"That sounds like a plan to me." I said softly, looking up at James bashfully from underneath my eyelashes. I could feel my cheek and neck growing hot. God, why did this seem so different from the classroom?

I sat down on the wooden seat and waited for the food to rise up from the kitchens and onto the house tables, making easy flowing conversation with James while my chin rested in the palm of my hand and my elbow was placed on the table. He told jokes about just the strangest of things from wizard joke that we all knew to Muggle ones that he heard when he was parading down the streets of London one Christmas. I laughed at every one of them. When the food came up he didn't stuff his face like I know Petunia's new interest did, Vernon I think his name is. James ate slowly and tried to drag on each topic, asking me questions about my life and such, and I about his. He was wondering how could I have grown up not being centered around magic, and I was wondering what it was like growing up knowing that this is where you would have ended up in. He asked about Petunia and what she was like, and I was reluctant to answer, and my questions were on what it was like growing up alone with no brothers or sisters no cousins or anything of the sort. Every piece of information that I gave him, James soaked it up like a sponge and kept it all in his mind for future use, whether that be for most likely dates or blackmail I didn't know.

"They're staring at us." James said quietly when I finished off my cinnamon apple pie for tonight and his Treckle Tart was still on his plate half eaten. I could feel the crumbs from the crust resting at the corners of my lips, but I didn't seem to care at the moment. I frowned, looking around to see who was staring at the two of us.

"Who?" I asked quietly in a whisper once I swallowed the last bite of pie.

"Snape, Regulus Black, your girl friends, my mates, Death Eater wannabes, and just about every student in our year or one below." James answered, blowing it off as nothing. My frown deepened considerably. His mates, and my girls ok, but the Slytherins and all the others in our year and one below seemed to be just pushing the limits.

"Why would the Death Eaters be watching us? It's not like your hexing any of them… it's none of their business what we do anyway." I muttered, wishing that there was pie on my plate so that I could throw it at them… mainly at Severus. I could hear James chuckle.

"I don't know and I agree that it is none of their business what we do—our life; let us do what the bloody hell we want." I smiled at the philosophy.

"So I take it that your not one of the pure-bloods that believe what You-Know-Who is doing is what's good for our world." I muttered, not really wanting to talk about it but I knew that He had to come up sometime tonight.

"Never. I think that what he's doing is sick and wrong. I mean they're Muggles and have no way of protection and You-Know-Who is just prancing around slaughtering them like cows then laughing and saying that this is what it's going to be like when he rules the world." James seemed to have his opinion set on You-Know-Who, but I couldn't help but flinch at how he said 'slaughter' and 'animals'….

"I was friends with someone that thought it was perfect," I muttered under my breath, shifting the golden crumbs of the crust around my plate. I could feel James's eyes on me, "he thought that what You-Know-Who is doing is purifying our world and is going to make it better for us to live in… He called all the Muggleborns in the school Mudbloods… all of them but me; I was the one accepting for him. He never insulted my blood or my brains, he never even thought of me as less of a which for who my parents are. My parents loved him lie their own son, and he was the one person that I could count on for anything… I helped him and he helped me. I dismissed the idea that he wanted to become a Death Eater, thinking that it was just some phase that he was going through at the moment; then he started talking to me less, and avoiding me in the hallways when I know I could see him, smile and know that he would always be there for me. Then, it all just stopped." Te unshed tears were burning my eyes.

"Lily, what happened?" James asked. "I don't want to pry but this seemed to really hurt you and it's completely understandable…" He seemed to care about what happened between me and Severus—not that he knew it was Severus that I was talking about.

"He wasn't the person that I thought he was." I stated simply, not wanting to dwell on the subject longer than necessary, and I hoped that James picked up on the hint.

Dumbledore dismissed us for the night and James escorted me outside to walk along the grounds, the moonlight being our only source of light in the thick night fog. James's skin seemed to be bleached out by the pale moonlight, yet he still managed to look perfect; I couldn't help but think about how ugly my hair musty look in the light of the moon. And my skin being so pale already would look more pale then the white marble that made up the grand stairs cases.

"Do you ever wonder… about the moon and what it means?" I asked, looking up and the crescent in the sky hanging over us.

"I'm not sure what you mean…" James trailed off…

"I mean that the Mayans were the first to discover the star cycle and the moon cycle, not to mention that they created the first accurate calendar that we use today… mast ancient civilizations worshiped the moon for what it did and that lead to them creating what they thought was myths of the Children of the Moon or werewolves. They thought that the moon would inflict powerful magic when it was at its fullest and then those humans that were bit by wolves were then killed for they were scarred of what they might become. Soon I guess that they needed for werewolves to have a common enemy and some form of a weakness and that's when the silver bullets and vampires came in, but vampires were created in stories long before. And Muggles thought of it all, most likely through wizards help, but Muggles nonetheless and they were right for the most part… Isn't it amazing?" I asked turning to James for his opinion, only to turn my gaze to my feet as we passed the Black Lake. "I'm sorry, you most likely didn't want a history lesson tonight, and much less from me…" I mumbled the apology quietly, still not looking at him.

"OH NO!" James gasped, turning to me and throwing his hands in front of him and they began to make wild gestures around one another as he explained. "I thought that it was interesting actually. I never thought about it like that before and just that your mind has that capability to go that deep into just one theory is amazing… You don't have anything against werewolves do you?" he asked suddenly.

"No. they're man that suffered a horrible fate that they couldn't control, not matter how hard they try, and people just push them off. I'll admit that once the moon rolls in they will get more dangerous, but other than that how can you treat them differently?" I smirked slightly to the grass crunching beneath my shoes. Autumn was coming in early this year. "But, The Death Eater Greyback isn't helping Remus's case at all is he?" I asked, smirking slightly as James. He balked.

"W-what?" he asked, a hand going through his hair nervously. I laughed quietly, only to the point where my shoulders were shaking up and down.

"Did you think that I didn't know?" I asked rhetorically. "After that night in third year I knew, and it was a great thing that you did for Severus then. I won't tell…. In fact I think it's great." I smiled at James, trying to show him that I meant no harm to his friend that he cared so deeply for. James smiled slightly in return.

"So you won't tell a soul? Not even your little girl friends when they begin to squeeze every detail out of you?" James questioned, making sure that I meant what I said about not telling. I shook my head no, some of my hair getting into my eyes. "And if Remus or Sirius finds out that you know, are you going to place the blame on me?" He asked, his eyes—now the color of steel—glanced at me sideways with a joke set deeply into them.

I laughed again, a small snort vibrating its way through my nose in the process. "No. I'll just ask them if they thought that I was _that_ dense in the head." I teased back, bumping his arm with my own.

"Gee, Evans, I can't believe that you'll be doing me that favor." James looked at me with a hint of respect in his eyes, and something else that I couldn't see… what it gratification?

Somewhere deep in my gut, I knew that this was going to be a fin ride when it came to this newfound relationship.

**HA! DONE! Sorry that I didn't update last weekend like promised; I started to type it on Friday night, but I had to get up at like 5:30 in the morning with my awesome cousin to go on an Alzheimer's walk. And when we went to drop her off the next night at home I fell asleep there and left there at like 4 in the morning…. But, I got the date out and quite some confessions out from Lily, and now they're starting to get more comfortable around each other and maybe James might be let in one the whole Snape Being Friends with Lily thing. But I hope that you liked this chapter and that it met your standards… and I'm going to tell you now: THERE WAS NO FIRST KISS BETWEEN JAMES AND LILY WHEN HE WALKED HER TO THE DORMATORIES. NATA. ZILTCH. ZIPPO, NO LIPPOES! Ok? The first kiss WILL happen. Just not right now… and I promise that James will not see it coming and for Lily it was like this spur of the moment deal…**

**Beta Note: Awesome chapter when it came to the date I say and how Lily seemed to have quite the chillaxed feeling about Lupin being a werewolf... and I have ot say me being the fiction and werewolf supporter I am I loved the little history lesson I got from Lily... so going to put that in one of my books (don't worry your blonde head, Devan, you'll get credit). And I want James to bring pie and bacon! BACON!!!!!! I (heart) BACON!!!!!!!!! And I want those books dammit!**

**So… it you REVIEW I'll send over James to tell you Muggle jokes that he doens't get! AND HE'LL BRING PIE AND BACON! (Just for you Owl! Aren't I awesome?!)**

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	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter Series, but I do own a quill, cloak, wand and the _Tales of Beetle and the Bard_.**

**This Chapter goes to: Lizzle09, lizzyathogwarts (That's two people that have something to do with Lizzy…), .cullenx19x13, and TmoVie for reviewing for the last chapter! And I'm sorry that you people were upset about them not kissing in the last chapter, but honestly IT WAS THEIR FIRST DATE! James is trying to prove to Lily that he's changed and that's he different and I believe that him kissing her will NOT be helping his situation at all…**

**Beta Note About Last Chapter: twas amazing, as usual~ dododododo *is a little too hyper* OKAY TO THE NEXT CHAPTERR!!! ^O^**

**ONTO JAMES!**

**James Potter**

I sat in my bed, waiting impatiently for the damned clock to strike half past seven. My feet were hitting the footboard of the four poster bed that I slept in as I tapped my feet repeatedly against the brown wood. I could feel my hands growing numb from the pressure that my head was applying from them propping it up for the past half hour. I smiled at the irony of how two years ago Lily had always wondered how I could fly let alone walk with my large head supporting my large ego.

Every night Lily would walk down the stairs for her nightly reading always intending to get aside at least two chapters of the novel she was working on; I on the other hand always had other plans for her. I would distract her long enough for the two of us to be sitting there, just having the casual conversations that we had on the date just one week ago. We would stay up talking until the late hours of the night, then both of us will admit our fatigue and head to our dormitories and sleep through the rest of the night, and I would be looking forward to the next night that we shall do the same thing again. We have yet to mention a possible second date in our future, and I was not going to be the one to bring the subject up. I had agreed with Lily that I would not pester her ever again about going out, and that she would be the one to decide if we ever get that second date. I was planning on keeping my word to her as yet another sign that I have changed over the Summer Holiday, and I only hoped that she would see it and choose what path to travel down. The quaffle was in her pitch now, and all I had to do was wait until she sent it back to my own. _**(Owl: lmao nice metaphor [i thinks thts the word im looking for] XD)**_

_I walked cautiously up the steps of the grand white marble stair cases going up to the seventh floor, walking Lily home like Remus told be to if she ever finally said yes. I knew that my mates and Lily's girl friends had been staring at us during dinner but it seemed as if neither Lily or I could bring ourselves to care less. She seemed so relaxed and when I mentioned about people doing whatever they bloody hell want, she smile. _

_We came to the portrait of the Fat Lady, spoke the password and were let in. The Common Room filled with several seventh years no doubt waiting for our return. Lily's face flushed brightly and she averted her eyes down to the floor as we walked across the ever crowded room and up the small, stone spiral stair case. When the two of us reached the top, we paused as if waiting for something to come out from the air and get this good night over with.**(Owl: jeez devan in this paragraph u had run one sentence problems x.x but they has been fixeded :3)**_

"_I had a really great time tonight, James," Lily spoke first, looking honest, and her green eyes seemed honest and denying nothing that came out from her mouth. **(Owl: AW...)**_

"_Your welcome, and I'm glad that you enjoyed it as much as I did." I replied while adding the mental addition of _Maybe not as much as I did, _but all that mattered to me at the moment was that Lily had enjoyed herself. _

"_Thank you," she whispered, and her cheeks flushed a bright red that matched her hair, and I wanted to reach out and touch the burning skin and figure out what it felt like to have her skin blazing like a fire because of me. She looked as if she were debating something in her mind, as she is often known to do, and it seemed like she was about to take the action by the expression on her face. _

"_Lily!" Amy shouted, opening the door to their room and the other three were standing behind her in a large fit of giggling and whispering amongst one another. If the action was possible, Lily's cheeks turned even redder when we were caught. "Hello, James." Amy greeted me with a slight nod of her head. "I wasn't aware that Lily would be out with you tonight… and I thought that she was going to study hall like claimed that she was going to be in for most of dinner…" Amy looked at her friend accusingly and I had the sudden urge to throw myself in front of Lily and defend her, protect her from Amy's patronizing gaze that she was sending Lily. **(Owl: what wonderful friends -_-)**_

"_Oh, well…." For once Lily seemed to be at a loss of words, and I knew that this had to be a major historic moment for _Hogwarts and History_. **(Owl: HA! Nice one!)**_

"_Oh, calm down Amy…" Mary chided from behind. "We all knew that she and James were going to be out tonight and we all knew that they were going to eat with one another and so on and so forth." She continued with a wave of her hand and a dramatic roll of her eyes. _

"_Yo-you knew?" Lily choked, her eyes budging wide. _

"_Oh, love, we all knew…" Alice confided sweetly, gently touching Lily on the arm, maneuvering her way around Amy's own body blocking the doorway. "Well, at least Mary and I did." _

"_I did, I had ever since that night." Annie piped in from the very back of the group. _

"_Well, as much as I bet you five LOVE gossiping about Lily's love life," I joked, "I think that we could have at least two maybe three more minutes alone." I requested raising my eyebrows as if to challenge the three for their friend. _

_Alice and Mary shrugged, I couldn't see what Annie's reaction was, but Amy looked as if she were going to suddenly combust at any moment. Her face was turning beat red from anger and her grip on the edge of the door was making her fingernails bleed and her knuckles turn white. _

"_Fine." She huffed and slammed the door loudly, leaving Lily and I alone. When I turned back to her Lily's face was a mask of worry for her friend's reaction, and she seemed to just go in there and interrogate the girl. _

"_Goodnight. Lily." I whispered softly and turned to open the door to my own dorm, only to get pulled in by the scruff of the neck by Sirius.** (Owl: I can totally see that... *YANKS* LOL!)**_

She seemed so nervous about every little detail that was going on around her, like she was scared that at any moment You-Know-Who would walk into the Great Hall and slaughter her… What the hell am I thinking? Of course she would be thinking that, she was on a date with a pureblood, and it's all that the _Daily Prophet_ ever talks about these days other then the murders going around—but even then he still has something to do with it all. **_(Owl: Oh, yeah. I almost forgot that James was a pureblood.... Me: HOW COULD YOU FORGET THAT?! Owl: I don't know... I'm the one that forgot remember?)_**

Throughout the night, Lily was in every conversation that we held, wanted to get her opinion in on everything, and let me in just as often as she left herself. She would use her hands to try and explain things that I didn't understand about the Muggle world, and she was comparing a wizard wedding to a Muggle wedding. Apparently Muggles have a man from a church of their shared religion come in and say things from the bible, "Dearly beloved" and so on… and she was saying that after the ceremony everyone gets up and drives or walks to a different place for the after party. What man would do that?! She said that it was always her dream to be the bride in the center of the dance floor with her significant other and dancing the night away, but she admitted that she would most likely do something to embarrass herself into misery. She laughed at all the jokes that I made, and even some that I found corny and she agreed with me, but nonetheless she laughed. We actively spent time switching topics at random and we would even stop and think about how the bloody hell we got on the newest topic.

It seemed like all the dreams that I've had in the past about Lily and I being on a date, they didn't do the real thing justice. She was beyond imagination when it came to the real thing… and I was worth the wait that I've had to endure for seven years to get what I wanted. Lily was wonderful when it came to her real personality and she seemed to be a completely different person when it came to our date, she wasn't the Lily that I have come to know by heart for the past seven year; no she was new, and reformed for a better person and I knew that was what Lily was hiding for the past seven years from all of us…

The clock chimed half past seven loudly and I nearly jumped at the sudden sound in the room; I had gotten so accustomed to the quiet of just me being in the room that it seemed abnormal for a sound to be vibrating its way through the air. I jumped out from the bed and nearly ripped the door off its hinges for it being in my way. I took the stairs two at a time, my feet easily falling into the pattern and never missing a beat. I was looking forward to tonight as I had been looking forward to every night for the past week; I was hoping that Lily would bring up the idea of a second date… as I had been hoping every night for the past week. Got I'm so whipped for this girl.

I come down the stairs with my ears perked up and anxious for this night to begin…

Lily was seated down on the couch that we occupy every night, but tonight her head was bent down and her neck looked like it had been locked in the same position for longer than needed, and it seemed very uncomfortable. Whenever I would come down here her head would be up and looking into the fire or looking at the grandfather clock that was placed in the Common Room, trying to make the minutes tick by faster so that I would come down the stairs. Over her barely clothed shoulder I could see a yellowing page, with black print going in several different directions, along with large headlines and pictures with captions; the evening's _Daily Prophet_.

"Lily?" I asked quietly, trying not to startle her into nothing, I took a hesitant step forward, trying not to scare her with my sudden entrance.

Lily gasped at her name being called and hurriedly closed the paper, hiding the article that she was reading from sight. Her red hair snapped in my direction and I was met with the defensive glare that Lily gave off often these days. When Lily realized that it was only me, her green eyes softened and grew warm and inviting. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and her lips turned up into a forced smile.

"Oh, hello James…. I'm sorry, I was just reading something and it set off something…" Lily blew off, but I knew that it was something more; something big had set off the ever famous Lily Evans temper.

I nodded and walked around the Common Room to take my seat next to her and sat down in the same seat that I had been occupying for the past week. I looked over to Lily and saw that she was gnawing her bottom lip off her body, nearly biting it hard enough to draw blood. "So what set the ol' temper off this time?" I asked.

"Excuse me?" Lily demanded, looking at me with her accusing glare. **_(Owl: Damb ass move, buddy. Me: Ya think?)_**

I instantly regretted my question; I had completely forgotten that she didn't know that her temper had quite the reputation around the school. Lily didn't know that people avoided her seeing them goofing off because they knew that she would be one to react badly and go and tell the nearest teacher. And _I _of all the people in the world, had to be the one to tell her of this truth. Why, why in the man of Merlin's beard did it just _have _to be _me _that tells her? I can see that second date get on a train and head on its happy way to China…

"Well, err, see here Lily… your temper in the past has been an easy fuse to light and whenever the spark hit's the fuse… it's a bad thing for the mate that was moronic enough to set it off… Some people think that it can be out of control and that you tend to take it overboard, but I think that whoever sets it off—the bloody bloke deserves it. It's just that it's known thorough the troublemakers area and the Death Eater wannabes and that's about it… but like I said the blokes deserve it." explained in a rush, thinking that this was the best way for her to understand what I was trying to explain without hurting her feelings.

"So what I am to you is just some joke?!" Lily demanded, her eyes blazing with a hatred fueled fire deep in her eyes.

"No! No, never… I would never think of you like that." I answered immediately, not even pausing to think about what would be the best thing to say.

Lily dropped her eyes to her hands laying limply in her lap. "But you said—" "Forget what I said. You should know after seven years that I hardly ever think about what I say… let alone plan it all out. No filter." I joked half heartedly. "But, Lily, I don't care about what those people say about you, or me for that matter. Like I said last week; let us do what ever the bloody hell we want… like it matters anymore about being pureblood and keeping the tradition going. If people have a problem with you then they can just take it up with me and my mates. I don't care about what they say about us, Lily, and neither should you! You're Lily Evans, the same one that resented me for nearly a decade of taunting before you even considered going out with me, the same one that always gets the best marks in class and makes sure that you're going down the right path. You never seemed to care about what people said about you before, how your just some Muggle with an overbearing dream… and here you are—worrying about what others say. I don't care, Lily! All that I've ever wanted was for there to be the chance of us, me and you just being together and having fun… enjoying being in each other's company and being ourselves. Why does it matter what they say about you, me, or us?" I stopped right there. I had mentioned us… and we have yet to go out on a second date—and here I am, talking about it like some old married couple. **_(Owl: Aw, James is ranting about love....) _**

I placed everything to her for a reason and that was to make her the most comfortable about what was going to happen ad for Lily to have that shred that she had some control over what was going on… and here I am, going back on my word. Bloody hell, I was never going to get out of this was I? you just might as well had me a shovel now so that I can dig myself a bigger hole and then make it my grave.

Lily narrowed her eyes and looked at the floor, seemingly embarrassed by something, most likely the little speech that I gave. Her cheeks flushed beat red, and her lip was drawn in between her teeth for her to chew on, yet again.

"Us?" She whispered, the word coming off her lips like a delicate petal hanging in the harsh wind of winter. Lily's voice was nervous and shy, and I was shocked to hear that come from her mouth; if it was one thing that I knew about Lily was that she never got nervous or shy around me, ever. It seemed to be some unspoken rule or expectation that she set for herself seven years ago. "You want to be in an ongoing and steady relationship with me?" she questioned, her voice fading slightly as her question droned on.

I nodded, not taking my eyes off her to gauge her every reaction and every move that she made. Lily nervously set a stray lock of hair behind her ear and seemed to be thinking about what to do next. "I thought that all these years… you were only after me because you were trying to prove a point…" She muttered half to herself, held to me. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Lily lifted her eyes from the ground and looked at me; her green eyes seemed to be melting into a straight liquid and she seemed to look warm and fuzzy.

"Lily, if that was what I was trying to do then I would have had the brains to stop _a long_ time ago. No, I do want that with you…" I smiled slightly. James Potter was not known for his long relationships that he held between various female students, no. People thought that I was some player who thought that it was best just to mess with some girls' hearts and then just leave then to the sharks.

The tension in the room increased dramatically at the sudden confessions that Lily and I had just made, it was so think that I could probably hex it and let it fall to the ground. The fire was blazing red hot in the fireplace and it didn't seem to help the situation at all considering. I had the familiar urge to just lean forward and kiss Lily… just that short distance and my lips would be touching hers. I longed to know what her lips felt like and what it was going to be like when they finally met. I was curious if her lips were as sift as I had imagined several times, or that they tasted as sweet or sweeter as I bet they do. I longed to have her thin arms wrapped around my neck in a vice grip as my own locked around her waist as our .lips danced together gracefully. **(I'm throwing this in there just for you Owl.)** I wanted to know what it was like to sneak off after classes and sit down in an abandoned corridor with her hands pulling my face towards hers as we would snog away in the middle of an open room where anyone could see us… **(Again, just for you Owl. _Owl: Jeebus Devan, how cruel! XD im a bout to die from the oozing sap. x.x)_**

I could feel my shift in weight as I moved to lean into Lily, and she leaning as well to meet me halfway, out lips both parted slightly. I could feel her heavy breath moving through the air and it fanned my face lightly with each exhale; it smelled like mint.

"James…" She whispered lightly, with longing dripping in thick drops off her voice. (_**Owl: ICK! EEW! TT^TT the sap is drowning me in its disgusting girlyness x.x and thats...just wrong XD)**_

Lily's green eyes were half lidded with the desire that I was sharing, and her green eyes seemed to have grown darker as well. Her chest rose and fell faster with each breath that she took, and I could see the blush creeping its way up her neck and spilling its contents in her cheeks. Her head was tilted towards my left and mine to my right as we leaned forward together, meeting the other halfway.

We were only a few millimeters away from touching our lips to the others and we sat there for only a sixteenth of a second, panting.

"OI, PRONGS!" A loud voice bellowed from beside us. **_(Owl: Hahaha! You're torturing the readers again! Sorry poeples... she's doing this just to annoy you!)_**

Lily gave a yelp and nearly fell off the couch, her face instantly going to a tomato red from her embarrassment of being caught with her hand in the cookie jar. **_(OWl: I LOVE THAT!)_** Her hair was a mess from her fall, and she had brought both of her hands up to cover her mouth, like she was scared that she was going to yelp again.

I groaned loudly and flew my body back onto the couch in frustration at Padfoot. _SO DAMN CLOSE!_ _And _he _comes into the Common Room right then and bloody ruined the entire thing! _I never wanted to kill my own best mate as much as I do now.

Sirius strutted into the room dramatically and plopped himself right on the couch where Lily and I were sitting… the same couch that we were about to have our first kiss on. Sirius wore a smug grin as he sat down and made himself comfortable between Lily and I as Lily looked flustered. I glared at Sirius loathingly.

"What?" He asked innocently once he noticed my murderous glare that would no doubt put all of the unforgivable curses to shame.

"Is there something that I can help you with?" I asked through my clenched teeth, my glare still going onto my best friend like no tomorrow.

"Actually, there is." Sirius sat up straighter now, not looking as relaxed as before. "And you're the only one that can help me." He stated in a business like tone, trying to get the point across Lily.

"Oh, well… I guess that I'll see you later then, James. Goodnight, James… Sirius." Lily bid us then all but bolted up the stairs and into her room.

Once I herd her door close with a nearly inaudible click, I smacked Sirius as hard as I could with my hand, trying to cause him as much pain as I could. His head bounced forward and then he brought it back, looking at me menacingly.

"What was that for?" He demanded, rubbing the now stinging spot on the back of his head.

"For being a git and ruining the moment." I grumbled as I rose from the couch, getting ready to go to bed.

"For being a git and ruining the moment." I grumbled as I rose from the couch, getting ready to go to bed.

"Oi, I meant what I said about you being the only one to help me." Sirius muttered from the couch, clearly not going to move. I sighed and sat back down looking at my friend and waiting for him to get this over with so that I could just go back to our room, do my homework and then go to bed. "I want my mate back; you never do anything anymore… no jokes, no pranks on Flitch. Nothing. What's happened to you James? I want my mate back, and you're the only one that can bring him back." Sirius sounded heart broken by his request, like some one had just run over his broom in front of him. _**(Owl: yeah!)**_

I sighed and looked down at my hands, not sure how to reply to what y best friend had just asked for. "Padfoot, I'm still here… it's just that I finally have Lily and I don't want to hex it up because of my getting into trouble so often… just wait and then I'll be back—in full swing and everything. And I promise the first person this year will be Snape." I swore as I walked up the stairs and was _really_ looking forward to the sleepless night that I knew was ahead of me.

**Ok, so I finished this chapter and yet again had put you through more torture of not kissing between Lily and James… but in the next three chapters there might be something. I don't know… OK, so you must must must review for this because at the moment I feel both really giddy at the thought of writing and really sad… **

**I hope that you liked the chapter and that it met your standards… and if you people review I'll send James over to your house to tell you that he thinks people how ruin the moment are gits! (BTW: did you people know that git means 'bastard' in English? Hehe, I've been saying that word ever since like 5th grade and I never knew that I was cussing... YOU AND ME WITH THAT OWL!)**

**Beta Note: Yeah, what you said Devan! I had no clue git meant bastard XD lmao! New discoveries every day xD Great chapter, just a little too sappy for my tastes. But ill never doubt your fabulous writing skillz mah friend. Sorry if i missed anything, sometimes when it gets me too interested i tend to skip things ^^; And Devan, tis oki...dont listen to those idiots who tell you writing isnt the right thing to do. It YOUR life, not theres. Do what you want with the small time you have. So yeah, readers, REVIEW OR YOULL HAVE ME TO DEAL WITH LATER! (And im a depressing person who really needs something to vent my anger upon.) So if you dont review and make Devan's spirits lift, my minions will bring joo pain D (lmao not really xD)**

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	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own the 'Harry Potter' series, but one thing I do own is now Luna's spectra specs from the HBP movie… **

**This Chapter goes to: MOLLY THE MONSTER, Lizzle09, TmoVie, and lizzyathogwarts (who I have to say wrote a LONG REVIEW! Right Owl? Owl: yush, yush!)**

**OK, so… as both you and I know from the last chapter that I was so CLOSE to having them kiss… that's where Sirius comes in. Owl send all of you her sympathy seeing as she told me the same thing… I hope that with THIS chapter that you will find the heart to forgive me. And, I just finished a fan-art that I did with Clary Fray from _The Mortal Instruments Series_and my mom thinks that it's amazing! I'll see what I can do about getting it up and stuff… but my next mission is to do Clary and Jace; that'll be a hard one… **

**Beta Note to Readers: ok! i am ready to read what is destined to be yet another long (._.) but most likely good chapter. ;3 and i must catch up on house when i is done with this...whoot ^o^ sorry in advance for anything i might have skipped over. oh, and; Devan i am soooo Uber sorry for the extreme delay i have placed upon this chapter...i had so much tew do ._. but i am editing naow! OK!**

**ONTO LILY!**

**Lily Evans**

James Potter was playing a game… and I wanted to be a part of it for once. He wasn't playing with the emotions of my heart like I thought the entire time… but more of like he was treating them like the were fragile glass; and I respect him for that. He was acting as if I was someone who would need their own time to think things through with how they were to be played out and how to make them play each other out.

I smiled every time that James and I would have our conversations in the Common Room or in passing in the hallways. One of us would smile at the other knowingly and the other would return the gesture, it really was giving me something to look forward to whenever I went walking to my next class.

True to his word, Potter never said anything about the two of us but I knew that he was looking forward to the time where my courage built up and I got the chance to ask him… Damn these walls and how they seem to always find just one way to stop me!

I had my books cradled between my hip and my arms as I cautiously made my way up the marble stair case of the central stair system, trying not to drop the dozens of books in my arms. Of course, my messenger bag's shoulder strap (Pic of bag on profile) had to snap today when the most homework that I have ever seen was piled right into my arms. Why, oh why, did it have to be today of all the days of the week to break and become unusable to me?

"Need help there, Lily?" I heard someone ask me from my left. Normally under reasonable circumstances, I would have seen then and know if they were really meaning it or just being cruel; but the books piled into my arms made it too tall for my eyes to look over. But, I didn't need to see who it was to know that voice anywhere, Remus.

"Oh, Remus. Thank you so much for asking." I sighed with relief as Remus took about three fifths of the stacks that I was holding, all of his books set away for the night.

"So, how about that homework assignment that we received in Arithmacy today?" He asked causally, making his way up the hard steps much more easily then I ever could. I frowned with jealously at the simple action with him carrying more books than I and still having the complete ability to make his way up the stairs.

"Oh, it seems fairly easy if you know what you're doing with everything and know how to work the formulas and all." I replied, trying to keep myself from asking about James and where he was at the moment.

"Well, may I ask why are you carrying all of these books when you have a bag?" I could see the smile that my friend was trying to fight off, not doubt that someone had leaked the news.  
I sighed, and continued to keep my eyes going straight down to the floor as I maneuvered my way up the stairs. "The strap snapped on me this morning… I have been forced to carry these around all day and I've hardly had time to make it to the Common Room to switch my books… and now I have the most homework that I have ever seen…" I grumbled.

"Don't forget that all this homework was assigned to you on the day of the first game for Gryffindor." Remus chided me as the two of us finally made it to the portrait of the Fat Lady. I could feel my chin drop at the thought of it being the first game for Gryffindor this season, and I might have to miss it! How could I forget when all of my thoughts practically ran around the seeker and the Captain of the team?!

"That's this weekend?" I asked, my voice climbing an octave higher from the shock. He nodded slowly as if he was trying not to make me explode on my temper. "I forgot! How could I forget such a thing like that? I have to finish all of this tonight.' I gasped. I turned to the boy helping me and grabbed the pile of books that he was carrying and ran up the stairs to my Dormitories.

I slammed the door closed behind me and threw all the contents of my arms onto the top of my trunk, letting all of my parchment and books mix together as one—I didn't care at this point what happened to the papers as long as I got them turned is on time completed. I snatched both the quills I had sitting on my bedside table, uncorking one of the ink wells and furiously scribbling at the parchment to finish the ten inch essay that I had to write on all things Herbology. This was going to be a long night…

* * *

I chittered conversationally with Mary, Amy and Annie, trying to relieve the fatigue that my body was influencing on me because of my late night. My eyes had slight purple bruises under them in the hallows, making my eyes appear to be shallow and sunken into my head. My skin was paler then ever and I tried to make it seem like I was coming down with a slight cough, apart from staying up all night finishing all my work.

"We told you that you had plenty of time to finish it all after the game and tomorrow evening." Amy chided me from across the table, her eyes narrowing slightly in disapproval but you could still see the sympathy that she held for me.

I only grumbled into my pumpkin juice as I scowled into its orange depths for my own sake of relieving my misery.**(Owl: the poor pumpkin juice D: )** I wished that I had listened to my friends pleas last night as they told me constantly that I could have plenty of time to finish it all when the game was over and all the fiasco was calmed down and people would focus back on their work. I assured then that my getting it done it one night would help my mentality, I was so wrong on that note.

I felt miserable, but I was sure that by the end of the day that I would be fine, all that I needed to do was to wake up a little and be sure to be down at the Pitch just in time. It was going to be fine and I was going to stay the entire game for once and watch the Gryffindor team kick the arses of Ravenclaw.

I sighed and looked down the long wooden table to James sitting with his fellow teammates, he was scowling deeply into his plate, shifting the eggs around the rim over and over; it seemed as if they were running a marathon. He was dressed in his Gryffindor sweater and the crème trousers that were required of the team, and his red and gold robe was hanging alone on the back of his chair. James's glasses were slightly askew and I longed to be near him to push them right back up into place on the brink of his nose. Sirius seemed to never have his mouth closed once through breakfast; his words traveling all the way down to my end of the table where I could hear about the two of them taking the win easily and then having plenty of time to celebrate the victory later on tonight, James never responded.

I looked down at the full plate that sat in front of me and I suddenly didn't feel quite so hungry, so I pushed the flat surface away from me and stood up from the table. Amy and Annie looked up at me, quizzically questioning my action with their eyes.

"I'm going to go back to the Common Room to grab Alice and I'll meet you guys down at the pitch, save me a seat." I turned and began to walk back to the grand doors that stood in front of the hall.

Behind me I could hear Amy teasing me from the seat that I just left. "FRONT ROW, LILY!" I smiled and ran up the stairs.

I took each step carefully and made sure that my sleep deprivation wasn't going to cause me a trip to the hospital wing this early in the morning. Some students were rushing down the stairs to grab a quick bite to eat and then make their way down to the pitch for the game. I was one of the few that was going up for something other then a quick snog with a person of the opposite gender… even the Fat Lady was already drinking away at the soon-to-be victory of Gryffindor's Quidditch game today. **(Owl: XDDDDD)**

I came through the portrait hole only to be met face-to-face with an intense snogging session between Alice and Frank in the middle of the room. Actually, I wasn't even sure that they were kissing, it seemed like a vertical wrestling match to me. Frank had his face glued to Alice's and his hands were gripping her waist and pulling her closer to his body, trying to feel every inch of his girlfriend against his torso. One of Frank's hands maneuvered its way up Alice's spine and pressed into the nape of her neck, making sure that she never went too far from him. Alice had both of her hands buried deep within the vines of Frank's hair, twisting them so tightly in her small fingers that I was beginning to see the sensitive flesh underneath turn white. The two of them seemed as if they had no intention of going down to the game. **(Owl: ohkaay, very very good description, but i must say; EWWWWWWWW!!!!!!)**

I gasped loudly and covered my mouth with my hand, trying not to disturb the busy couple but it seemed like such a wish was not one of the few that was going to be fulfilled for me today. Frank's head snapped up and he began to look around the room to see who spotted the two of them. His seemed paranoid about who it might be and I wouldn't blame the two of them; if I was one to get caught snogging James then I defiantly didn't want it to be certain people to catch me in the act of the crime. People—even in our own house—played blackmail against one another.**(Owl: yes, i can never spell definitely right either, devan XD thank The Light for spell check! -reference to World of Warcraft-))**

"Oh, Lily thank Merlin that it's you." Frank sighed once he spotted me standing in the corner with my jaw slacked down like some sort of moron. I quickly regained my composure when Alice looked up from Frank's chest to take a look around as well. She seemed relieved that it was me, and to be truthful I was glad that I was the one that spotted them in their… err… compromising position. **(Owl: XDDD)**

"I thought that it was Virginia coming in again." Alice muttered lowly, so low that I almost didn't hear her say it.

"Virginia's caught the two of you?" I asked, looking at Alice to try an measure if she was serious or trying to play a joke on me. Virginia was one of the worst people to get caught doing anything by, she was the ultimate person when it came to blackmail. Virginia was one to go and snitch everything to the Slytherins for a price—of course—and then let both the Slytherins and herself blackmail you until you paid them something to shut them up. She didn't belong in the Gryffindor house at all. **(Owl: hmm, odd ;3)**

"She did last week." Frank replied, looking down at my friend who's face was buried deep into his chest. The couple seemed to be saddened at the thought that the worst person was the one that caught them in the act. I sympathized with them.

"Well, I came up here to drag the two of you down to the Pitch, if you were even planning on coming." I chided them, hoping to lighten the mood even slightly. Alice smiled and nodded her head vigorously, and Frank went along for the ride.

The three of us rushed to the Pitch, running up the old wooden stairs to the section that Gryffindor alone covered, already hearing the excited cheers of the fans in waiting. Not one person was rushing as bad as we were, knowing that our seats were saved in the front row so that we could see the game better. I fought my way through the thick throngs of students just waiting for Madame Hooch to make her way onto the flush emerald green field and announce the teams. I know that I stepped on most likely six feet, and bumped into dozens of people but for once in my life I didn't apologize for my actions; I was too focused on getting to the front just in time to see James fly into the air and to find that the game had began.

I came to the front where Sirius, Remus, Peter, Mary, Annie, and Amy were supporting a scarlet and gold banner with "Gryffindor Win It ALL!" written on the surface of the paper. The sun was out today making perfect weather for a game while a slight wind was going, giving it the best remedy to the heat. I smiled as I stood next to Sirius, who was screaming at the peak of his lungs that he had money placed on Gryffindor winning and if he was going to loose then James was going to pay him back every Knut.

Alice and Frank took their seats with their separate genders and kept a considerable distance from each other, trying not to make the rest of us feel quite as awkward as we could. Suddenly, Madame Hooch made her way to the center of the field, her striped white and black robes being the attire for her being the referee.

I rose from my seat and stood on the very edge of the wooden railing, having my torso leaning over the edge in anticipation for what was to come next. I could see the brown broom in her right hand as she walked to the very middle of the green grass where a large white chalk circle was made. Madame Hooch raised her spare hands and twelve people on brooms flew out into the air.

"There's the captain of the Ravenclaw team, Angela Whitman. Boy, she's quite the looker if you ask me…" The commentator, Rupert Smith, spoke into his microphone. "And here comes the proud captain of the Gryffindor team, James Potter!" **(Owl: Devan once again, your creativity with last names never ceases to disappoint me XD Devan: Shut-up...)**

All of the students, all ages alike, rose out from their seat and yelled when James flew around the field on his new broom and flipped through one of our goal posts. I screamed and threw up my hands, shouting the chant that will forever ring in my ears.  
"GO, GO GRYFFINDOR! GO, GO GRYFFINDOR!" I grinned hugely as I yelled the saying that I've been screaming for six years prior, but I never felt so proud to be screaming it more than now.

"The Quaffle is out, and there go those Bludgers, and now the Golden Snitch. AND THE GAME BEGINS!" Rupert yelled with much enthusiasm.  
The three chasers on the Ravenclaw team raced towards the Quaffle, fully intending on getting to it before the chasers from Gryffindor did. One of the girls, Cassandra, pulled ahead and snatched the Quaffle right before Jacob could on the Gryffindor team. I could hear the Bludgers move with their deadly speed as they attempted to knock several people from their brooms.

"Quincy's got the Quaffle, and he's going towards the Gryffindor posts, passed it to Mercy and she's making her way through the crowd coming after her. Oh!" Rupert yelled as a black Bludger hit her arm and caused her to fall from her broom. The students watching gasped and watched as she slowly came to the grass and ended up lying down peacefully, clutching her wrist tightly to her chest. Madame Hooch flew down and picked the girl up, calling a time for Madame Pomfrey to make her way to the field and take care of the injured girl.

"Quincy has the Quaffle, and Jones just tried to smack a bloody Bludger to his head! That had to be a fowl!" Rupert yelled in his protests. I was hardly even watching the others play as I was watching James making his way around looking for the Snitch and trying to win the game. I looked around as well, but I was positive that I wasn't going to be able to see it nearly as well as James could with his trained eyes.

"Potter's found the Snitch and he's making his way towards the west side of the pitch, hot on that little bugger!" I smiled and continued to cheer James on, knowing that he was going to get the Snitch. "Wrest is right on Potter's tail, letting him lead him right to the Snitch! Ride that broom Potter!"

"C'mon James!" I yelled, leaning over the edge, trying to get a better look as James circled outside the field. Wrest took the opposite way and waited for the Snitch to come to him on the center tower on the north side of the pitch. I rolled my eyes at his stupidity.

James made a sharp left turn and began to come toward the south field, letting the Snitch go where it pleases; he knew what to do in this game and how to do it all. James was leaning down close to the beam of the broom, trying to make his flight just go slightly faster than it was before. His gold and red robes were streaming behind him as the wind blew right past his slender and thin body; as if he wasn't even there.

"So close James! C'MON! GET IT!" I yelled with Sirius as he was banging against the wood of the beam. **(Owl: nice imagery ;3)**

The Snitch took a steep dive down and James followed, only gravity and the speed of his broom allowed him to pulled up past the small golden ball, he reached out and his wrists seemed to be straining to get the bloody thing. His fingers were splayed out, trying to get as far as he could. James gave on final lean forward and it sent him hurdling through the air, with his arms splayed out and is legs moving. James landed in the sand area at the bottom of the goal posts, his body scattered like a murder scene. The crowd gasped and stood, waiting for the moment if he would get up and dust off his body, or lay there like a dead bug. I threw my fingers to my mouth as I bit down hard on my nails, trying to kill the anxiety that I was feeling towards all of this.** (Owl: *gasp!* =O )**

James rose from the sand as if nothing had happened in the first place, and he held up his right hand high, showing the golden ball caught in his palm. Gryffindor had won the game. **(Owl: WOOO!)**

I screamed with the pride of my house and began to jump up with the over joy that was running through my bloodstream. Sirius screamed with his pride that he had won his bet and that he wasn't going to have to kill James after all; Alice launched herself into Frank's arms as he spun her around gently with his happiness.

The stands cleared out quickly, all the Gryffindors were eager to make their way back to the Common Room and celebrate the win that we all knew was well deserved. I smiled as I walked up the long and worn down path that lead back the school. I walked with my girls and James's friends, smiling and laughing most of the way up the path. My smile never left my face as long as Sirius had something to say. I wished that James would be able to walk back up with us, but the team had to come up at a different time than the rest of the people; they had to shower, change and then take the constant congratulations from their own teammates.

The Fat Lady was passed out in her portrait with her friend from downstairs, and empty whiskey, vodka, and several different liquor bottles were surrounding their feet. Let me say that she was not happy about being woken up several times to have the password spoken to her so that all the students could come into their house.

Already the girls had a giant banner hanging from the wall and several students were already bringing in nicked butter beer from the kitchens along with several sweets and junk food. Boys were bringing several forms of entertainment and radios were already blaring with the newest band made up of several different teenagers. I smiled at all the décor, glad that it was Gryffindor that won and not Ravenclaw in the end, all of the seventh and sixth years would have been walking around sulking with their heads down and not even looking up from the ground. I didn't even want to think about how James would be if we did end up loosing the game in the end.

"Alright!" A seventh year boy yelled, holding up his hands above the crowd to capture their attention. "Sh, the team's coming!" He warned. A smooth course of "quiets" wavered throughout the group as we waited for the team to walk in.

James's voice came through the portrait hole as he ducked through and walked into the Common Room, only to be met with red confetti and cheers to be thrown at him and his fellow team. I smiled as he walked around and accepted the 'good job's and the several 'great game mate's and even more 'I wish that all the team would play like that's. The entire time, James seemed to be perfectly content and not uncomfortable in any way, like he was meant to be the Gryffindor team captain, and that he was meant to be with all the people that shared the same passion that he did.

"OI! That was one bloody hell of a game, I have to say, Prongs." Sirius congratulated his mate, throwing an arm around his shoulders and giving him the annual 'man hug'. I held back my laughter from the sight.**(Owl: XDDD man hug x33 Devan: I thought that it was appropriate for the timing... ya know?)**

I saw James lean to whisper something into Sirius's ear, the two of them nodding and Sirius looking pointedly into my direction. I could feel the palms of my hands suddenly grow sweaty and then my knees began to buckle slightly from my being deliriously nervous. I think that James thanked his mate and began to walk in my direction, his hands were in the front pockets of his jeans, the thumbs sticking out from the upper hem. His shirt was a simple thick, gray V-neck sweater that seemed to show a small amount of chest hair and his sleeves were rolled up comfortably to his elbows. James wore his glasses perfectly, and the light from the fire seemed to make his eyes shine in the warm glow that was given off. **(Owl: ew to the chest hair e.e but gewd description either way ;3)**

I smiled when he finally reached me. "It must feel great, knowing that you won the game for the team." I smiled up at him, and James smiled back, chuckling under his breath slightly.  
"Yeah, it does feel kind of good but it happens all the time to me and you just kind of block it all out in the end. People always say the same things and they always say that I did the right thing; that I know how to play the game perfectly and that no one is better than me in the air. But, after six years of getting it, I've grown used to it all and don't really care for it much now." He spoke the simple words with so much emotion that I was captivated from the very beginning, and to me it seemed amazing that James Potter was able to come up with all these words.

"Well, I would just like to say that it was a great game and that—"

"OI! Quiet down!" One of the members of the team yelled from one of the chairs in the room. "OI!" He yelled again. I blushed and turned to go and stand by the staircase, hoping that I could make a quick escape if it was needed of me. Several people were walking around with butter beer bottles and sweets in their hands, but I was one of the few that could function without butter beer at the moment.

"James has been on the team for six years as of this year, and he's done an excellent job of catching that tiny thing and he made sure that the team was always kept in line. I just wanted him to know that I appreciate how hard he has worked all these years and that he was always a great boy that had made into the man that we know today. James, your going to be one hell of a man when you get out of this school." One of the boys from the team spoke, he's been on the team with James ever since the beginning of his Quidditch career, James being the Seeker and this boy being the Keeper.

A murmur passed through the crowd and several agreed, and I couldn't help but know that I knew the man that James was today and that I was lucky to have spent the time with him and have James be the person that he really is. James deserved at least one thing from me. **(Owl: ooooh!)**

I stepped away from the wall and pushed through the students that were gathered around the center of the room, where James and his mates were located no doubt. I made it through the last layer of people and I was now in the front row to see James just smiling at everyone, his back to me. I took in a deep breath of calm to slow my nerves and I walked up to James, having the full intention on taking action from my thoughts.

I gripped his shoulder and turned him around, so that his body was facing my own; James looked potentially shocked that I came up to him after getting interrupted before. I smiled at him, and stood on my toes, inclining my neck to reach James.

I crashed my lips to his in a kiss, and the spark that passed between our connecting skin made me gasp, as well as the crowd around us, but I didn't hear then at all. I threw my arms around his neck and kissed James right in the middle of the Common Room. **(Owl:WOOOOOO! FINALLY, DEVAN! Devan: God, you make it sound like I'm torturing you people...)**

**UGH! DONE! I am now finished with this chapter, and I just can't wait to get some raving reviews (hopefully) and some comments on this chapter. So… what did you think about Lily being the little bad girl? Going up to James like that and then just kissing him? I mean, IT FINALLY HAPPENED! **

**I can't wait to hear what some people thought about it, and don't worry the next chapter will be from the speech to… who knows where? (I KNOW WHERE!)**

**Beta Note: Twas amazing! and once again, i am so ridiculously sorry for neverending delay on this. Can't wait for next chapter ;3 Now lets see them reviews people! REVIEW!**

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	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter Series, but one thing that I do own is all five movies!**

**Alright, so I am so sorry about that last chapter not being updated soon enough (OWL) and I wish that you have kept your patience with me and just grinned and bared it; I know that I did. **

**Beta Note: i said i was sorry TT^TT now, lest see this awesomeness! but first, i must say that devan here is very picky: double spacing ._. what the hellfire peninsula!? well, okay...lets read!**

**Onto James!**

**James Potter**

"James has been on the team for six years as of this year, and he's done an excellent job of catching that tiny thing and he made sure that the team was always kept in line. I just wanted him to know that I appreciate how hard he has worked all these years and that he was always a great boy that had made into the man that we know today. James, your going to be one hell of a man when you get out of this school." Mathew Caruthers **(There, Owl, a different last name!) (Owl: OMH! why thank you for putting some originality into it!)** spoke, looking at me the entire time as he smiled and brought his Butter Beer bottle up to his lips for a quick swig from the glass container.

I smiled at my teammate and nodded in my thanks as a quiet agreement and cheers made their way in, waving through the crowd gathering around us. I didn't have a bottle or glass in my hand, and nor did I need one; I was perfectly content with just having my hands free and I wanted to remember tonight by tomorrow.

I kept the fake smile plastered to my face, trying to make it seem like I was really happy about the same thing that happens every time that Gryffindor wins a game; as if it was somewhat more important now than ever. I was spent completely on thinking that this was my moment of glory that happens to me in this school—my moment of glory that happens about six times a year, or more. I was tired of blowing it off, and my face hurt after I held the same smile for hours straight and my body was left exhausted at the end of the day from putting on the façade that I really enjoyed this. "For a man that has been pulling pranks for nearly seven years, you suddenly hate the spotlight when it comes to something that happens on a normal basis." Remus's words from earlier this morning rung in my ears. He was trying to point out that I enjoy things to be spontaneous, and unpredictable; and I do.

I continued to just smile and wave as the same words passed in my direction, the same things that have been playing like a broken record in my head for six years. My grey sweater was clinging to my chest tightly, causing me to sweat slightly under the thin fabric.

I was facing Sirius, showing him with my eyes that I was bored to tears and I just wanted to get this over with. Sirius nodded with understanding of how I felt, just like he had for over three years now. Randomly, his jaw dropped slightly and his dark eyes drifted off to the side behind me. I wanted to ask him what the bloody hell that was about when I felt a small, gentle, yet firm palm press against the top of my left shoulder. The hand forced my back in a circular direction, turning me towards the person and turning my back to Sirius. I opened my mouth, ready to curse the person out, when my eyes trailed down and I was staring into a vibrant green, so vibrant that it seemed like quick, bright green flashes of lightning. I shut my mouth and smiled to her in welcome, wishing desperately that she would just do something with our relationship so that I'm not left confused and dreaming about it at night. **(Owl: haha...yeah i know how that feels ._.)** Lily smiled up ay me, and behind her white teeth and her mesmerizing green depths, there was a fire burning deep within her body; and with me—for once—it wasn't one of anger. It seemed to be burning with a passion and a desire to be known and fulfilled, as if it had just made itself known but had been in her heart and mind for years.

Lily rose up slightly, as if she just had a sudden growth spurt and her smiled stayed on her face as her green eyes held a connection to my own. Lily's soft, warm lips came crashing down on mine; a spark flying between or close skin when we were only less then moments away from touching. Lily's lips were softer than I had ever dreamed or imagined, and she was smiling slightly under the kiss. Her lips held their shape, and yet they seemed to melt to form a cast of my own; as if she was a fitting puzzle piece. Her arms came up to my shoulders and folded at the back of my neck, one of her hands digging deep within the dark roots of my hair and holding them tightly. I originally had my hands sitting at my sides like they were dead, but somehow they became revived and began to move once again. My hands made their way down from Lily's thin and slender shoulders, and traveled down her long and thin arms; I loved how smooth her skin was, even under her thin shirt that she wore today. Once I reached the crook in her elbow, I trailed my fingers lightly across the fabric to her waist and gripped it, pulling her flesh to my body and lifting her off the ground slightly. **(Owl: omh...only one word that i shall repeat over and over: ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew eeeeeew!!! but, tis very good description that i shall not dare to mess with.)  
**  
Lily's arms tightened their vice hold around my neck, as she turned her head to the left slightly opening her mouth. I tilted my head to fit against hers, and we continued on with the random, passionate kiss. **(Owl: x.x ur killing me here!)**

It never came to my mind that there was a room full of people watching us, and it never occurred to me that I just won a game and the entire Gryffindor Quidditch team was watching us. I was living my wildest dreams, and I wasn't about to let something so small get in the way of what I had been craving for nearly seven years. Lily was here kissing me, and nothing was going to come to my mind while the scene was in motion.

Lily broke the kiss first, coming up for a breath of air and I opened my eyes slowly. Her skin was paler than its usual complexion, Moony claimed that she stayed up all night to try and finish all of her homework. But, even though her skin was pale, it held a feminine glow to it; as if she were finally proud that she did something that Lily wanted to do. Lily's deep green eyes opened slowly, a slow grin spreading across her face, her cheeks flushed brightly—either from my wonderful kissing skills, or the people watching. **(Owl: lmao, arrogant much? Book: I know right? Owl:**** xD)**

I smiled down at her, hoping that she didn't regret her action in the end. The room was deathly quiet, as if one sound would suddenly cause the world to fall apart on us; crickets chirped loudly.

"Wow." I whispered, being at a total loss of words. That simple word was the only one that I could think of to describe the sensation that just took place all over my body in reaction to the kiss that Lily and I just shared. **(Owl: x.x)**

Lily smiled and let a giggle escape from her lips, she ducked her head slightly to have her thick red hair cover her beet red face. Her shoulders were shaking up and down slightly from her quiet laughter. Merlin, please allow that to be a good sign…** (Owl: XDD)**

Lily looked back up at me and my nerves came crashing back to me, did she regret it already? Was she going to say sorry? The possibilities were endless. **(Owl: oh, i love that little saying quote thing! "The possiblities are endless" good job ;3)**

"I know," she whispered, just hardly so only I could hear. "Wow." the grin that was set upon her face never left, her slight dimples were showing under her fair skin and I loved the sight of them.

A cough erupted from the audience watching and I looked off only to see Frank, Alice, Annie, Amy, Sirius, Peter and Remus watching; most were smiling but some had a jaw dropping expression. **(Owl: XDD perfect mental image!)**

Sirius looked mostly smug, beaming with pride like I just won a prize and he was the reason why; his chin was sticking out ever so slightly and his eyes held a proud gleam to them. Remus had a look in finality on his face, it was clearly displaying that he was glad that Lily and I had finally done one of many deeds that could be done. (**Owl: omh EW!)** Peter looked as if someone had slapped him clear across the face, his jaw was dropped to the ground and his eyes seemed as if they were going to pop out from his skull at any given moment.

Most of Lily's friends seemed not surprised at all, some where smiling knowingly, and some where giggling behind their small womanlike hands. Alice and Frank were whispering to each other, sharing hidden smiles and nodding together; they looked like one of those old couples that you see when you go to a cinema and they're walking through the park happily.

I turned my attention back to Lily and she was letting her dark eyes sweep across the room, making eye contact with all the onlookers watching. I noticed that all of the team was watching and most of the people in our year or sixth year; only the people who knew our bickering the best.

My arms were still encircled around her waist as we stood in the middle of the room, and all of our classmates were watching us. I couldn't even bring myself slightly down enough from my highness to care that most of the people in the school will know about this by lunch tomorrow, and I couldn't bring myself to care that all the people will assume the worst about us; all of that was crumpled and thrown out the window.

A small giggle came up to my ears and I looked down to see Lily with a small smile on her face, and she was looking right at me. Her eyes were amused with those around us, and her face was tinted red from her excitement and slightly from her embarrassment. I couldn't help but smile at the fact that I did that to her and that she was smiling at me because of me.

"Why don't we just run out of here…." Lily asked, her eyes sparkling with the anticipation of what was going to happen. I nodded vigorously like a moron and snatched her hand up from her side and began to push and shove my way through the crowd that gathered around us. I made sure to pass by Sirius and gave him 'the eye' and made sure that he understood that he needed to take action to the point where people wouldn't follow us. (Owl: LMAO! *imagines a twitching eye XDD)

"Alright people, you saw the show; time to clear out. OI! Don't you people have anything better to do? GO AND STUDY! GO ON, GO!" I heard Sirius order as we walked out from the portrait hole, still holding hands.

I lead Lily down the white marble stair case, turning left twice and walking through the corridors located on the fourth floor, still holding her warm and soft hand in my own. I pulled to a stop in front of an empty classroom, taking the time to open the door and holding it open for Lily to walk in first. She smiled and nodded at me in thanks and walked in, leaving a fresh trail of her wondrous scent behind her for me to follow like a lost puppy. (Owl: nice last sentence ;3)

Lily strutted over to an open desk and lifted herself up on the smooth wood of it, her feet dangling off one end—swinging back and forth. She smiled and patted the empty wood next to her, offering me the seat; no, showing me that she wished to sit next to me. My heart jumped slightly at the thought of being able to sit next to Lily again, only this time talk a little more in detail about our relationship. I smiled and walked up to lean against the dull edge of the desk, crossing my arms in front of my chest to make myself look slightly more masculine. (**Owl: XDDDDDD)**

"So… that kiss…" I trailed off, hoping that she was going to fill in the blanks. Oh, Merlin, please don't apologize and say that you regret it. Please don't apologize and say that you regret it. My mind chanted over and over as if it was a hymn.

Lily blushed and looked down, either she was embarrassed by her actions or she was just blushing at the fact that she enjoyed it… That's and ego booster right there. I could see that there was a rather small but genuine smile that was formed on Lily's lips. She looked up and now she was smiling, but she was biting down on her lower lip to try and hide it slightly; she had little success. "Yeah, that kiss… it was more of a spur-of-the-moment deal and I don't want to put you under that form of pressure James; if you think that—" She began, but I didn't let her get any farther than that.

"No, no. Some times pressure is good, this form of pressure if perfectly fine with me." I assured her, trying to calm her slightly so that we could get to the most dreaded part of this discussion.

"This form of pressure is good for you? You want to spend the time working through the rough spots of a relationship and you want to try and put an effort into this… trying to make it work out?" Lily asked, looking at me through her long, thick, dark eyelashes. Oh, Merlin's trousers, it was so hard to sat no to those eyes with those wonderful, devious lashes. (Owl: devious XD)

"I'm accustomed to getting my own way, Lily, you know that of all people; but, for you, I'd give this my best effort and try my best to make this work and to be sure that there are no misunderstandings, or rough patches." I reached over and gently picked up Lily's hand and held it in my own, encasing the fine flesh within my own to preserve it for all to see. "I'm going to give my best, and nothing is going to stand in my way of giving this my best." I vowed to myself, looking up at Lily through my eyelashes and wondering if I had the same effect on her as she did to me. **(Owl: ugh, how mushy and disgustingly romantic e.e)**

"Wow, James, I never thought that you would be one to say that…. N-no offense of course." Lily added hastily at the end.

I chuckled and smiled slightly. "None taken… So, does this mean that we're—ya know—a couple now?" I asked, slightly worried to hear the answer come from her lips.

Lily laughed softly to herself, her shoulders shaking up and down as she leaned forward slightly and then went back as she laughed on from my question. Oh, no. The answer is going to be 'no'. I'm going to be rejected and denied… I'm ruined. After what I just told her there is no way that it's not going to get out now. I thought hastily, not caring at the moment if I suddenly became scum and sank into the earth.

Well, you got your one date that you wanted. My mind chastised me. I wasn't in the mood to go loony right in front of Lily.

"James, I can't believe that you even asked that question; it seems like such an obvious answer even after all that we've talked about. Of course we are, I like you and I'm willing to give this a try."

Wait, what?

Lily Evans just said that she was willing to go out with me, and to become a couple for all the people to know and see us in the hallways holding hands and the two of us spending time together outside of class… the imaginings seemed like heaven to me… Not happening to me. **(Owl: Sadly, in real life, when something is too good to be true: it probably is. I know from experience...[as a 13 year old that is not confident in any way] teehee ;3)**

I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing but incoherent mutterings came out, making it sound as if I was choking. Lily raised her eyebrows at me, as if she was daring me to say something that wasn't going to make a fool out of myself. She laughed quietly as I tried to think of something to say to her… anything. It seemed as if nothing was going to come out, and my mind was drawing a blank line at the moment when it came to something that would show that I had even a slight sense of intelligence.

"It's alright James, it's okay. I get it; you're speechless." Lily laughed quietly, placing a hand on my knee to show me that she understood that I had nothing to say to her that would not make me look as if I were brain dead.

"Thank you." I whispered, finally coming up with something to say to her that wouldn't make me look as if I was a complete imbecile.** (Owl: is that really how you spell that? wow. never would have known XD)** Lily smiled and nodded in understanding, leaping up and off the desk to land on the ground with a slight stumble, but I reached out just in time to catch her—effectively stopping her fall. Lily gasped at the touch that I held on her waist and she turned around, only her neck seeming to make the ninety degree turn. Her green eyes seemed to be shocked with electricity, making the green become shockingly bright and brilliant; I couldn't help but be mesmerized by the sight of the glorious eyes that haunted me in my dreams for years. Too many damn years.

"Thank you." she whispered, breathlessly.

I stood her upright, standing up straight myself; turning Lily around for her to face me completely. I looked down through the lenses in my glasses to look into her eyes, trying to find the source that sent the electricity moving through the green depths of them. I saw nothing but jewels that had been protected for many years to prevent damage to the package, inside or out; it was glorious and saddening all at once.

"You're welcome." I whispered in reply.

I bent my head slowly downward, and Lily met me halfway as our lips collided in a kiss, much better than the one that we shared in the Common Room not ten minutes ago. Her warm body was pressed against my own, and I had one arm wrapped securely around her waist, while the other held her neck in a cup making a migration north to her smooth, red cheek. The hand on her cheek then seemed to have a fetish for her long red hair; so it dove for it and tangled her long red locks around my fingers. Lily's hands seemed to have a grip on my hair as well, pulling it slightly but I couldn't bring myself to care about the fact that it might become a bald spot later on.

I could vaguely hear someone open the door that lead into the classroom that we currently occupied, murmuring going on.

"Told you so, Wormtail. Pay up." I heard someone whisper.

"Ha!" Came a hushed gloat from a female. "I told you guys so, you now owe me ten Galleons."

I smiled into the kiss, but Lily didn't even seem the least bit distracted from our… err… activities. **(Owl: XD)**

**Okay, so I know that this chapter was shorter than most, but I like the length the way that it is, and I'm going to keep it that way. My mother gives me my kudos for writing about an experience that I, as a writer, have never had (the kiss) and she thinks that it seems pretty damn close to the real thing for a person who had yet to have their First Kiss like that… Where can I get me one of those?!**

**Beta Note: lmao Devan! i'm currently loving the hilariousity of ur note. x3 love the chapter; even though its a little to girly...and disgusting...and icky...and...bleh; i loved it :3 amazingly amazing descriptive talent goes into every one of these chapters. Short or long; all are amazing. Now, for the sake of my friend's sanity, REVIEW! NAOW! :3 (oh, and Devan: this is the "present" i was texting you about XDD)**

**If you people review, I'll send James over to have a long and romantic conversations with you and catch you when you fall; only to have that go to him kissing you like that!!!! (I just might review for my own story…) **

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	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter Series nor any of its characters; I wish that I did though…**

**Alright, so we were all happy about the last chapter yes? I hope so. I spend quite some time writing it and Owl editing it. We hope that you people are happy with the new direction of the story and that you are joining in for the sure-to-be bumpy ride that James and Lily are going to have.**

**And, as my Holiday present to you people (Not you, Owl) I am going to make this chapter a LITTLE longer, in hopes that you will like it! Happy Holidays people!**

**Owl is currently unavialable to beta this chapter, sorry. She went somewhere for the holidays and didn't tell me where. She won't check her email or answer my calls or texts. I did the best that I can, but I know that it's just not the same...**

**Lily Evens**

I awoke the next morning in a daze… my mind was fuzzy with strange memories and my heart was beating wildly in my chest, like some form of an untamed dragon. My stomach seemed to be churning within itself with… was that nervousness? What would I have to be worries about? N.E.W.T.'s weren't until the end of the year, and we did not have any exams or tests coming up soon.

A wave of memories crashed over my mind, making me feel lightheaded and dizzy. I ran my hand through my hair, taking in everything that my mind was remembering; the game, the party, that first kiss… in front of everyone, the talk, James being sweet and kind, then… that second kiss. Oh, my…

"Did I kiss James?!" I yelled, horrified that I actually _did _the action. The sleeping girls in the room jumped in their beds and looked around wildly, only to find me sitting in my duvet looking at them wildly.

Alice cracked a small smile from directly across from me, and Amy just sat back and groaned with her pillow thrown over her face. Annie let out a small giggle and continued until she was having small hysterics in her bed, rocking back and forth on her arse giggling away. Anne smiled and nodded her head slowly; like she was proud of something… she was glad that I had finally made my "move" on James Potter.

"Yes. Believe it or not, the famous Lily Evens had finally kissed Potter, and they are now going out." Alive giggled from her bed.

"You don't remember that? It seemed like you would with as long as you spent on that _kiss_!" Annie gushed, rolling her eyes dramatically as she rolled along her bed. "I swear, Lily, if you dump James I am going to be the one to take him… even if that means breaking the girl code." I could see that she was serious by her tone and they way that she held her body when she spoke of this. I raised my eyebrows in a challenge.

I only shrugged my shoulders afterwards and rose from my bed to get dressed for the day, slipping on a pair of snug flitting jeans and a thin blouse that I bought over the summer holiday. I brushed my hair to the point where it was no longer a tangled mess, but a nice mixture of soft curls so that they looked like waves. I brushed my teeth and washed my face, making sure that I at least did some form of hygiene this morning, if I wasn't going to have the time to shower properly and get down to breakfast in time.

I slipped on my boots, making sure to hide the leg under the hem of my jeans and slipped on a leather belt and a light sweater for the day, making sure that I stuffed my lip balm in my pocket. I made sure that I had everything on; bra, underwear, shoes, blouse, jeans, jacket, and so on before I walked out of the room with Alice and Marry. The three of us walked down the stairs and into the Common Room, only to have all of the buzzing conversation that was going around before, die down to bellow a whisper with several of the students' eyes looking at me like I just went mental right in front of them.

"Alright, move along here people. Move it. We have placed to be and food to eat. "Marry shooed away most of the onlookers, but several still stuck around to gawk at me behind my back. I felt a rush of nausea come over me, and I felt like I was suddenly going to be sick; I lost my appetite and everything.

We continued down to the Great Hall, where the staring didn't even cease to hide their looking; they just looked up right when I walked in and didn't even bother to look down like they didn't do anything. I walked down the left side of the Gryffindor table, keeping my eyes straight ahead and letting the words _"It's our life, let us so what the bloody hell we want." _come into my mind and remind me why u even wanted this attention in the first place.

I found James sitting with Remus and Peter but Sirius was missing for once; all three of them were talking to one another, and James was trying to keep his head down so that students didn't stare at him as well. I smiled in relief when he looked up and waved me over urgently, with a smile of his own on his face. I nodded shortly and walked over to his seat as discretely as I could, and sat down next to him; Marry and Alice followed, Frank instantly going to sit next to Alice to hold her hand under the table. The two of them shared a small smile with one another—seeming to have their own conversation; I smiled in secret at the romantic gesture.

James was wearing what seemed to be old and worn jeans, the denim faded after long use of the clothing, the cotton thread was coming off from the hem at his feet and his waist, some of the thread being covered by the brown leather belt that he wore to keep them from falling down around his ankles. His shirt was slightly wrinkled, but the worn out t-shirt had the vintage appeal to it, giving it a look that no other could, the graphic that was placed on the thin material of the shirt worn away with use and age. A light red jacket covered the old black t-shirt, making him appear casual and well-dressed at once. His worn out canvas tennis shoes were coated with a thin layer of dirt and were losing the whiteness from the rubber at the tips of the shoe and around the base of the sole.

"Have you heard the rumors already going about the school?" James whispered to me from behind his hand. I looked at him in shock, making my hand freeze when it was reaching for the suspended toast rack going up and down the aisles.

I coughed quietly behind my hand; trying to clear my throat before I said anything. "There are rumors?" I asked, keeping my hand by my mouth so that I could catch a cough if it came out again. James nodded slowly, and that was when the peanut gallery decided to join in on the conversation.

Remus was the first one to speak. "I heard first thing when I awoke was that James put you under some sort of love potion." He rolled his eyes at the concept of the theory even happening.

"What?! That's the most absurd thing that I have ever heard!" I whispered loudly, trying to keep my voice low form others looking on and more rumors being spread around the school.

Remus nodded with me in agreement. "I know; James wouldn't even think about using a love potion on you for three different reasons. One: He would have never even thought about using that. Two: He would think that it would be an obvious thing and that it was a cliché. Three: It would be too hard for him to even whip up a love potion." Remus chuckled to himself at the end, leaning back into his chair slightly placing a hand lightly on his middle torso. James scoffed beside me and rolled his eyes, making it seem like he would be able to make a love potion, but all of us knew the truth, no matter what James claimed.

I shook my head with the disappointment that no one could come up with something better than the cliché that he snuck in a love potion in my morning pumpkin juice. "Could someone have thought of something a little more creative? Something that requires more than about five seconds' worth of thought?" I asked, moving the spoon around in my porridge, wondering what else someone could think of.

"I heard—and I know for a fact that this one isn't true—that James paid you around thirty galleons or so to kiss him." Marry spoke from her seat, pushing her egg yolk around the rim of her plate.

I snorted and let out a small scoff that would hardly even be considered a laugh. "Oh please, that one isn't much better than the last one; it's really about the same level of thought." This rumor had to be the worst one and most over used yet; more cliché than the first one that we heard.

"I agree with Lily." James spoke up from beside me. "I mean, I am not going to waste thirty galleons just for her to kiss me in front of everyone—I'd make her go on a date with me as well and flirt with me in the hallways." HE smiled his cockiest grin that I had ever seen, and I wanted to smack it right off his face.  
"James Potter, you are the most arrogant, cocky, smug, rude, and strangest person that I have ever met before." I muttered under my breath as I spoon some of the light brown goop in my bowl and stuck it in my mouth.

"Oh, Lily Evans, I can say the same thing about you." James replied with a smooth and easy voice as he speared one of his sausages and plopped the entire damn thing in his mouth. I rolled my eyes at the boy.

"Are there any other rumors that I should know about?" I asked, taking a bit from the toast that Alice tossed at me from across the table. "While these people are already being naïve and simple people to the point where their imagination has left with common sense." I added as I took some jam and spread it over the crisp surface of the bread after I took the first bite.

"Oh, there was one that I heard around before I went up to bed that over the summer holiday that Lily went mental and her parents never thought that she needed to be locked away." Alice piped in from her place, placing her hand over her mouth to try to hide her obvious smile and she small cut off giggles. "I can see the _Daily Prophet _headline now… _'Muggle-Born Witch Goes Mad Over a Boy'_" Alice frames a marquee in front of her, giggling all the way. Frank smiled along with her, happy to humor her and play along with her slightly strange fits of laughter that come more often than not.

I rolled my eyes and spotted Amy and Annie coming into the Great Hall through the large oak doors; I waved them over and the two of them began to walk fast towards the spot that we were sitting. Annie was the first one to speak right when she reached the seat that she was going to occupy for the morning.

"You will not believe the rubbish that I just heard coming from the Entrance Courtyard; it's completely illogical and if these people were to think about what they heard then we won't have a problem. I believe the girls that I overheard were calling this 'scandalous'." Annie quoted with a great rolled of her eyes as she scooped some fresh fruit onto her plate for the morning.

"Well then, the two of you came at the most _perfect_ of time!" Alice replied unenthusiastically. "We were discussing the matter of the completely ridiculous rumors that are going around this school already about the event that happened last night."

"Oh, I think that this one may be the worst one." Amy spoke while she poured herself some water in her goblet. "I have yet to hear most of these rumors, but this one is more likely the worst one; completely illogical—like Annie said—and is one hundred percent idiotic and moronic." She set the brad pitcher down on the table and reached behind her for a slice of toast that was patrolling around the perimeter of the Great Hall.

"Well, I think that we can be the judge of that." Remus replied snidely as he scowled into his juice.  
"These girls were in Slytherin House keep this in mind—but they were gossiping about how Lily and James have already…" She paused as she bit her lip on how to phrase the next few words, "they were gossiping about how the two of them had been dating since third year and kept it a secret, and now the two of you want to 'go public'." Annie placed air quotes around the last two words an d rolled her eyes at the concept, and I think that my own fell on the table from the shock.

"Pardon me?" I asked. "But what in the world were they thinking when they either made up this piece of rubbish or when they heard it from someone who didn't think about making up that piece of rubbish?" I asked rhetorically.

"Well whomever had created this completely idiotic rumor is obviously not someone that likes to think things through before he or she says them." Alice chirped.

"Does anyone know where Sirius is?" I asked randomly looking at those sitting around my from the side as my hand was cupping the side of my neck. All of them looked at one another and shook their heads once they thought about the conversation topic and how not one of us seemed to even hear a sarcastic remark or a joke come from the boy. I looked at James and Remus, seeing as how Peter doesn't talk to me much, and questioned them with my eyes about the whereabouts of one of their best friends.

"He spoke of having something to do before he came down for breakfast." Remus answered the question, looking down at his wrinkled button down shirt and removing a piece of nonexistent lint off the sleeve.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "This is Sirius we are talking about here, Remus… What in the world could be more important to the bloke than getting some food?" I asked in a state of shock.

James furrowed his eyebrows for a moment, thinking about the answer to my question; his mouth turn down into a frown and the corners of his eyes began to crinkle slightly as he continued on with the thought. "I honestly have no idea." He spoke in a tone filled with finality. Remus nodded with agreement, looking up at the slightly cloudy ceiling as the mail owls came flying in. "Ah, yes; the mail is finally here." Marry groaned, looking up as well for her barn owl that her parents owned. I looked up as well with the chance that Mum and Dad wrote to me.

A beautiful crème owl swooped down and came to rest right in front of James, its beak polished to a fine black and the talons on the owl looked as if to be made from onyx. The feathers were laid out finely, as if it were going to make a fine gown; all of them were flat against the under-skin of the majestic animal and each feather seemed to be the same as the last. The eyes of the owl were s lightning bright blue, making me see my own reflection in them. In the black, polished beak was an ivory envelope with a thick red wax seal on the front.

James reached for the envelope, pulling it out from the owl's beak and shooing it away after he had the letter. I was jealous that James could have such a beautiful owl and I had an old barn owl.

"Who's it from?" Remus asked as he took the _Daily Prophet_ from the leg of the brown barn owl that stood in front of him, slipping two knuts into the brown pouch at its leg.

"My uncle that lives in… oh, bugger. Where did he move to this time…? I think the country side in Ireland, or somewhere in that general area. He said that he was doing some work with the Ministry of Magic and that required he be away from the closeness of Muggles in London and just in the general area of Britain. Wonder what he's writing to me about." James opened the letter with care, trying not to be completely rude and just rip open the pristine and crisp ivory paper that must have cost quite a bit of money. James pulled out a smooth and waxed down piece of parchment and read what seemed to be dark green ink that his uncle wrote in. James' light eyes followed each line as he read and his mouth moved to the words that were written on the page, making me more and more anxious to find out what was he writing about to his nephew.

"Well?" Peter asked, speaking for the first time this morning that I heard.

"The bloody man is going to work for Volde—" James began to say.

"OI! Prongs, Moony, Wormtail, Frank, Lily and Lily's friends I would like for you to meet Rebecca, my girlfriend." Sirius spoke walking up behind Alice and Frank with his hand holding the hand of another's.

The girl was fairly thin, looking like she ate normally but her metabolism didn't allow her to gain much weight; her waist was small and her hips were narrow. Her neck was long and slender, going into a fairly strong jaw line; her cheeks were long and spread far and wide like the grass fields in Scotland and Ireland. Rebecca's eyes were a strong hazel, holding much more gold than brown or green; they were wide and seemed to be very expressive with her emotions and thoughts. Her hair was jet black and hung down in long straight locks; they stretched as far down as her waist, stopping in a clean cut off.

I looked over a James with a raised eyebrow and a small smile on my face, wondering how he was going to react to this strange and ever-so random news that all of us just heard. James' eyebrows were knit together to form one long and thick black line along his forehead, and his mouth was set in a thin, firm line; I could see the wheels turning in his head of how he was going the phrase his next words.

"Erm… hello Rebecca." James greeted the girl, ending the welcome as if it were a question. Rebecca smiled shyly, and sat down at the table right next to Sirius, both of them piling food onto their plates like the end of the world was coming to next hour.

Sirius grabbed five slices of toast, and went back for more to hand to Rebecca—while she reached over the table to grab the plate of crisp bacon that sat right in front of me; the girl didn't even bother to ask me to pass it to her, just reached on over and took it for herself. The two of them reached all around for the time course of seven minutes, making sure that each of them had what they wanted to eat before digging in themselves…

Sirius could have used a shovel and no one would have noticed that his food was decreasing in size more and the fact that some of the food was dripping out of the corners of his mouth as he ate and tried to talk to someone—I'm not positive who—at the same time. Rebecca didn't seem to mind the lack in table manners at all—she was sitting there eating away as well, digging her spoon and fork into some unknown food and just sticking the end in her mouth and chewing. I think that I had to keep my eyes trained on the golden pitched sitting in front of me to keep from gagging throughout the entire meal. How can two people eat so much? How can one _girl_ each that much and remain _that _thin?! I was disgusted by the site that was sitting across from me, and I think that James was too.

"Okay, since no one is going to say anything, I will." Marry declared turning to the feasting couple and shouting: "OI! Would the two of you stop that and act like civilized people for Merlin's sake?!"

Sirius dropped his spoon instantly, and put his hands over his head and closed his mouth—white gravy was dripping down from the corner of his mouth and down his chin. I swear the man was fighting himself not to dive after the few drops of gravy that escaped from his mouth. Rebecca stopped eating and just sat there, her back was hunched over her pile of food like she was trying to protect the damned thing, and her still had a spoon and fork in hers hands; great Merlin, the girl was shoveling her food in her mouth!

"Can the two of you act like people and not like the two of you were raised by the wolves?" Annie asked both of them, giving them the ever popular 'evil eye' and holding bother of her hands in fists at her sides. Both Sirius and Rebecca nodded their heads together, keeping their eyes trained on their plates and not opening their mouths to say one word. Annie looked satisfied with their answers turning to Alice to discuss the homework that the two of them received in Herbology the other day, it was due the next day and Annie still had three inches to write on it.

I turned to James, smiling and shaking my head with disbelief as Sirius and Rebecca went back to their food, but eating much more civilized than before. He smiled in return; he then turned around slightly and took a sweep of his bright eyes of the Great Hall, looking at if he was surveying those around us. When James turned back to me, he was smiling mischievously, his eyes glinting with excitement and his smile giving away his thoughts that was running through his mind at that moment. I leaned back slightly, wearing of what he was going to be saying next, my green eyes giving me away to him as well.

"What's the matter, Evans?" James challenged, raising his eyebrows at me. "Afraid to get away for a little while so that we can have some peace and quiet?"

"It's not that…" I answered wearily, making sure not to take my eyes off James, "It's just that I don't want to go anywhere I am going to be getting into trouble, and knowing you, _Potter_, you will be getting me into trouble." I stressed my voice when I spoke his last name, doing the same to him that he did to me.

"Why, Evans!" James gasped feigning shock. "I thought that you would know me better by now, and I must say that I am very disappointed in you. If you think that I am going to get you in trouble today, then I swear on my grandmum's grave that I will not be going off and try to get you in trouble anytime with me this afternoon… I make no promises on future occasions." He added as an afterthought, smiling smugly as he did so. I let a small giggle escape from my lips, covering my mouth before the snorts could kick in.

"Oh, please!" Sirius boasted from his spot in front of his newly remade mound of food. Sirius leans around the food to look at me, wiggling his fork at me with his eyes giving me a great warning with his eyes. "I wouldn't believe him, Lily. His grandmum is still alive today, living in the streets of London; he's just saying that so you'll get up and go with him." He warned, looking at me dead in the eye and keeping his look stern and instant. I looked at James with a small, but knowing smile, raising my eyebrows at him for an explanation.

"W-w-well, you have to admit that she's an old woman and can just… err… drop any moment?" James tried to rush saying, ending his explanation as a question.

I laughed, throwing my head back and just let the horrible snorts come up and explode out from my nose, I was laughing so hard that my sides began to ache with pain. I gripped my sides and tried to regain my composer as James and everyone else laughed along with us, I gasped for air and tried to think of the most horrible things—History of Magic homework, Divination class, reading my book _Famous Witches and Wizards Through Time_, not one thing seemed to even work in the slightest to ease the constant laughter. I was finally able to stop, looking at James with a straight face as he was still chuckling quietly every now and then to himself.

"You don't need to make up stories, James, I'll go with you." I replied, standing up from my seat, waiting for James to do that same. He stood from the wooden bench, pulling down his t-shirt and zipping up his jacket slightly getting ready for the walk out onto the grounds.

The tow of us began to walk towards the grand oak doors that lead into the Great Hall, hearing behind us "Now don't you two go off and do something stupid!" I smiled and laughed quietly to myself, bringing my hand to my mouth to stifle my giggles slightly; James was laughing as well, throwing his head back and just waving to those behind us.

James led the way to the elaborately decorated oak doors that lead into the entrance courtyard, opening one of the massive doors for me and showing me with a small show of his hand to go on out. I gave him a small, gracious smile and gave him a small curtsy to play along, blowing my head slightly to the point where some of my hair came down to block my eyesight. My arms spread slightly, and I bent my wrists at an angle and let my fingers look as if I were holding up the bottom hem of a dress. A small smile was on my lips the entire time; he was acting like such a gentleman to me this morning.

I walked out into the courtyard, my tennis shoes thumping quietly against the cobblestone of the walkways, I spun around once taking in all that was around me; the fresh scent of the soon-coming fall, the fresh scent of things being clean… it seemed like all of this was a dream. Some of the leaves were falling off of the branched, but I knew that the worst of it all was yet to come in only a couple of weeks—the leaves would be coming down so often that it would be as if snow was falling from the sky. The birds were flying in the sky, heading south for the upcoming winter; I could hear some of the animals scurrying about trying to get last minute food for their families and themselves as well. A slight wind was blowing and a few strands of my hair flew up with it, dancing with one another—twisting this way and that, in a graceful waltz that seemed so horrible to interrupt.

I could hear James' shoes lightly hitting against the stone ground as he made his way over to me, I turned and smiled at him holding out my hand for him to take. He smiled and reached out and encased my small, frail hand in his large, massive ones; he wrapped his fingers around my entire hand and held them tightly, as if he were afraid I was going to disappear at any moment. His eyes portrayed every emotion that he was feeling—anxiety being the most prevailing within his bright eyes. James gave me a small smile as his hand reached up to gently stroke my cheek—starting from my cheek bone, smoothly running his fingertips down the expanse of my skin and stopped at my chin, making his way back up and repeating the circuit several times. Not one of us said anything, or moved; we both just stood there as James gently stroked that one line running up and down my cheek.

"Go on a walk with me, Lily?" He whispered quietly, his breath tickling my face slightly. He smelled like peppermints and sunshine, as well as wet grass on a spring day… it was lovely.

I couldn't speak, his scent had intoxicated me too much to even form a coherent thought, the only think that I could do was nod mutely like a complete git. James smiled and took my hand in his once again, leading me to the grounds where the two of us spend the rest of our day.

***

I hurried down the small stairs case, keeping my right hand on the right wall at all times as I rushed down each step to get into the Common Room. My "replacement" book bag that Alice ever so kindly let me borrow, was hitting my arse as I ran down the small steps, each of the text books hitting me hard as I tried to walk. One of my many quills was beginning to poke me in the thigh as I continued down the stairs, I tried to shove all of the thoughts of the pain away as I began to see the Common Room just as few steps ahead.

I walked into the room, my eyes automatically going to the spot where James and I sat last night talking and reading; well, he and I were talking and then I began to read aloud to him after about two hours. Both of us had agreed to meet there the next morning so that we could walk down to breakfast together, and this way her could walk me to my first class—Advanced Potions.

James was sitting with his common group of friends, chatting conversationally with them as all four of them waited for me to come down the stairs. I smiled and walked over, waving to Sirius and Remus as they were the firsts ones to see me; James was facing away from me with Peter by his side, Sirius and Remus stood across from them. Both of them smiled, Remus waving in return and Sirius just giving me a quick and easy bob of the head; at the motion of his friends, James turned around to see me, smiling instantly.

James jumped up from his spot, Peter trailing behind him like a little lost cat, and came over to me, kissing my cheek lightly in a quick greeting; I smiled and kissed his slightly rough cheek in return, he was going a little longer without shaving. No one looked at us as we made our exchange, all of the students in Gryffindor were accustomed to it every morning by now—we had made the same exchange in greeting all week now.

"Ready?" Remus asked, a smile playing at his lips. I looked at one of my best friends quizzically, my eyebrows coming together as one as I thought about the secret meaning behind his words. "Isn't your little group coming along for the ride?" He asked.

I gasped in realization, and giggled slightly. No, the others weren't coming down to breakfast with us for once, all of them seemed to have other plans that they conveniently _forgot_ to tell me about until this morning. "No. Alice said that she and Frank were going to early—I did not ask for details—Mary claimed that she needed to see professor McGonagall at the moment that she woke up, Amy said that breakfast was overrated and that she was trying to lose weight, and Annie said that she would catch up with us later." I explained every excuse that I had been given and the only two that I believed was Alice's and Amy's, other than that I thought that my friends were up to something.

The five of us made our way down to breakfast, meeting Rebecca there when we arrived at our normal seat that the six of us took up for every meal that Hogwarts served. I could feel several pairs of eyes trained on my back, but every time that I turned around I would see no one looking, and then James would ask me if I was alright. I would reply a 'fine' and just go back to eating my biscuits and jam; I didn't need him worrying about all of this when I knew that he had other things to be thinking about. **(Book: Sounds like me there… Doesn't it, Owl?) **

James and I left at the same time, rising and gathering our book bags for the day, we held hands on our way to the oak doors; James opened the door for me again, and I smiled in my silent thanks. We mad our way quietly to the dungeon, and we held a whispered conversation on the steps down, neither one of us being very comfortable with the dead silence that came alone with the choice of setting…

We stopped in front of Professor Slughorn's room, me smiling and whispering my thanks and James replying with a whispered 'you're welcome' and his next sentence being when he was going to see me again. Two or three times a day, James would try to rush to my class rooms to walk me to my next class, making sure to ask me how my others went and if I was bored or learned anything that day. I secretly love how concerned he was that I was happy with my classes and that he really wanted to know what I thought of the lesson and what I liked about the class that I was taking.

Potions went by smoothly, Remus and I whispering to one another when Slughorn wasn't looking and writing notes to each other when he was. Severus stayed in his seat during the class, quiet and not speaking to anyone but his Slytherin potion partner—where he should be. We did not brew anything today, just listened to a lecture and took notes on whatever the professor repeated or found important; my quill never came off the paper in my notebook.

When the class was dismissed at the end of the period, I noticed the Severus ran out as fast as his small pale legs could carry him, and Regulus Black was outside the door waiting for him—several other Death Eater wannabes with him as well. Remus and I both saw the action and immediately began to rush to get all of our things back in our bags so that we could follow them. Remus was the first one done, I was busy struggling with the cork for my ink well—he insisted on helping me. I finished gathering all of my parchment and quills while Remus place my book and ink in my borrowed bag. We made it out of the room only about two minutes behind the posse of Slytherins, and neither one of us knew where they went. I assumed that they went to the Common Room, but Remus thought that they had gone upstairs and into the courtyard in the entryway. Both of us flew up the stairs as fast as we could, Remus being in front so that I didn't slow him down in the slightest.

We ran to the entry way, hearing the loud crashes and booming that was coming from the other side, several swear words could be heard, and even more hexed and jinxes were shouted. I looked at Remus with wide, panicked eyes—what were we going to do about a duel that was this large? He nodded down to my robes, showing me to grab my wand. I reached down and grasped the handle of my only weapon that I knew how to use and pulled it free from the confines of my black robes, the light cherry wood glittering nicely in the fine sunlight and candle light. Remus snatched his want from his robes as well, discarding his books completely, I followed his example.

When the doors opened, I had never seen such a sight before in so many years…

**I hope that you see this as your Holiday present people! (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, and any other holiday that's out there at this time of year!!!)**

**Oh, Merlin, what's wrong now?! Well, I think that I'm the only one that REALLY knows, but I think that you guys can get it from some of the clues that I gave you… If someone can guess it right, then you get… the satisfaction of knowing what happens next. I'm not going to be the one to tell you if you're right or not, should you people guess—you'll just have to see in the next chapter. DON'T FLAME ME FOR THE CLIFF HANGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

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	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter Series, but one thing that I do own is a golden snitch book mark!**

**Some of you people are reviewing and complaining about my beta's (Owl) notes that she leaves in the chapters when she slaves to edits my chapters; you claim that it is distracting and that it's taking away from the story. Well, Owl and I are best friends and we have gone to school with each other for years and you people just coming here to read this story and that is the ONLY THING THAT YOU HAVE TO SAY is a low blow; This is MY story and I can put in whatever commentary that I want, and whatever plot twists that I want—if you don't like it, then you people can stop reading it. The comments that Owl makes are always in BOLD, they are not mandatory. You people can just skip over them, WE DO NOT CARE!!!!**

**Beta Note: Meh, no notes this time. I'll spare you guys i guess. Sorry in advance for any mistakes, I'm sure this chapter will be another awesome one as usual: 3 HOORAY! for my new Orange 16gb IPod Nano! : 3 Don't have any songs currently, but I'm listening to the radio on it XD well, ENJOY THIS AWESOMENESS!**

**James Potter**

I sat in the uncomfortable wooden chair with my arms folded over my chest, I was slouching and grumbling to myself like I was a little delinquent waiting to be sentenced to prison; at this moment I didn't care. Padfoot sat next to me rubbing his jaw, his left eye starting to swell from the hex that Regulus had given him not ten minutes ago. Rebecca sat in his lap, rubbing her healed arm up and down, a new scar forming from the jinx that Snape gave her when she came in to help Sirius and me. Wormtail was sitting and massaging his new swollen ankle—he didn't even bother helping us either, he twisted it when the git was running away.

Lily was next to me, trying to heal the large gash that was slashed across her cheek, and trying to soothe the forming scar that was on her upper arm with her free hand. Blood was smeared across her cheeks, some of it being hers and some of it being Sirius's or mine—most of it was the Slytherins that we were fighting though. Her robes were torn, her sweater being ripped by herself to stop some of the bleeding that Sirius had. Her tie was gone as well, tied around Rebecca's arm to stop her bleeding. Her skirt was torn to nearly shreds, pieces being taken off either to stop the bleeding on someone or a Death Eater wannabe thought that it would be funny to be ripping up her robes. Her button down shirt was covered in dark red, some the blood being completely dry and some of it still being wet. Her red hair had mud, twigs, and leaves all glued to her scalp, and by the grimace that was placed on her face she was fighting everything that she had to not run off and take a shower.

Moony was trying to help Robert —one of the beaters from the Quidditch team for Gryffindor—with his blisters that were covering his neck from the base to the point where it was nearly touching his lips. Moony wasn't as bad as some of us but he still had his fair share of the blood and ripping from his robes as well. His tie was missing too; it going with Lily's to stop the blood gushing out of Rebecca's arm. His sweater went missing when one of the other gits from Slytherin hexed Bradley Morgenstern and his entire torso went wild with some dark magic animal. His trousers were hanging in tatters, him using most of it to heal people and try to create substitute bandages for their wounds.

Several Slytherins sat in front of us, covered in blood and dirt—they deserved to have more dirt covering them and for their robes to be ripped even more than ours. Most of them were trying to not have their teeth fall out, while others were tending to the aftercare of the hexes and jinxes that were aimed at them.

I heard Lily whimper beside me, and I turned to find her rubbing her arm like it burned; blood was still coming from the cut that was on her cheek. Her green eyes showed that she was in pain, but I knew that she was trying to hide it as best as she could—but they still failed to hide most of the feeling that she had. I turned and took the blood soaked cloth that was sitting beside her, took out my wand from what I had left of my robes and whispered the incantation "Aquamenti" soaking the cloth in water. I gingerly brought the cold, wet cloth to her cheek and began to wipe away the blood that was dripping down her chin in slow, soft strokes—I felt like I was touching a delicate flower, make a move that was too quick or strong and everything would come tumbling down.

When the cloth came to her skin, Lily winced slightly and her eyes nearly overflowed with tears. She rolled in her bottom lip between her teeth and bit down on it. I reached over with my free hand and pulled her lips out from between her teeth smoothing the pad of my thumb over it. I smiled and whispered "I don't think that we need another injury, do you?" Lily smiled in spite of herself and gently shook her head no. I continued to wipe at her cut, cleaning it with the most care that I had and trying my best not to hurt her. Every now and then I would ask her if I was doing it right and if she was hurting, every time she would say that I was doing fine and that she felt fine as well.

Out from the corner of my eye I could see Snape looking at me, hatred and utter loathing oozing from his being and every pore in his body. His cold black eyes were set on me, and a deep frown was set in his lips; greasy black hair was falling in his eyes and his hooked nose was nearly touching his chin with the posture that he held. I frowned at him and childishly stuck my tongue out at the bloke, making me think about how we got in this situation in the first place.

_Padfoot and I were walking up the grounds from our Care of Magical Creatures class, laughing all the way and looking for Peter coming out from his Herbology class. We caught him and began to go towards Transfiguration together, me having the fullest intention on sitting with Lily today and trying to pay attention to the lesson so that she didn't have to stop and tutor me sometime tonight. _

"_Guess what I heard James!" Peter exclaimed when we were walking towards the front doors, walking along the long wooden bridge that connected the school with the grounds. _

"_What would that be?" I replied, not really hitting interest in the subject of rumors at the moment, unless some git was boasting about Lily and insulting her, then I would care. _

"_I heard that Voldemort is going to attack Hogwarts and take any Muggle-born that is walking within the walls, and—"_

"_And who did you hear this from?" I asked, looking at Peter like he was mad. _

_Peter stopped walking, as did I and Sirius as he seemed to consider the rumor that he heard and you could see the realization wake onto his features. "Maybe… maybe the rumor isn't true…" He muttered as an apology, looking down at the wood that was under our feet. Sirius and I nodded, being satisfied with his response, and the three of us continued on. _

_When we came to the entrance courtyard, Snape and Regulus were walking out from the castle and strutting right towards us. I knew that enither of them had a class that was outside at this time of day, and nevertheless one that had both of them in it at the same time._

"_Sirius, what the ruddy hell is your dearest little brother doing out here at this time of day—and with Snape?" I asked, looking at my best mate with the question lingering in my eyes. _

_Sirius looked up at his brother, his dark eyes showing something along the lines of pure hatred towards him, "I don't have a clue, but I'd stay away from him." He advised, turning off to the side slightly so that we were walking away from Snape and Regulus Black. The three of us walked in silence, hoping that the two Death Eaters wouldn't see us and try to cause a scene of some sort._

"_OI! Potter!" I heard my name being called behind me and slightly off to the side. The voice was slightly nasal and it seemed to hold some form of pride and just that someone who gloats and brags on themselves would have. I turned to see the two of the Death Eater wannabes standing by one another and smiling at me and my mates._

_Snape was grinning like a drunken bloke and seemed to have something to say to me. "What d'you want Snivellus?" I asked, trying my hardest to keep the sneer off my face when speaking to the slimy mudball._

_Snape grinned even more and he seemed to consider the words that he wanted to say next. "I heard that you and the Mudblood were—what is the word that I am looking for, Regulus? Was it that they were finally taking pity on one another and decided to play house? Evans being the Mudblood that she is, and you being the egotistic, cocky, moronic, bastard that you are that the two of you decided to take pity on each other and play house… I think that it's…" Snivellus trailed off looking at Regulus suggestively. _

"_I think that it's sick." Regulus finished, grinning. "A pure-blood and a Mudblood coming together and playing house just isn't right, in fact I think that such a thing should be considered illegal to do. Mudbloods should know how to stay in their place and not try to socialize with wizards that are… of higher ranking than they are." The two of them laughed, doubling over and gripping at their sides to try and stop their constant laughter. _

_I could feel my anger boiling up and getting dangerously high to a peak where I couldn't handle it. All the blood that I had in my body rushed to my face in my rage, and my hand instantly snapped to the inside pocket of my robes—my fingers wrapped around the hilt of my wand. I was ready to rip out the wooden stick and shout every jinx, curse, swear word, and hex at the two of them._

_Sirius lunged at me and gripped my elbow in a vice hold, keeping his fingers firm so that I didn't try and shake him off somehow. "Prongs don't. C'mon, it's just not worth it; Lily will be waiting for you in Transfiguration and she knows that you're better than this." Sirius told me, keeping his voice stern and making sure that he was keeping eye contact with me at all times. I nodded at my mate, releasing my wand from my grasp and slumping my shoulders slightly in my defeat. I just turned slightly when Snape had to open his mouth again. _

"_Oh, the Mudblood knows how to control a pure-blood and she knows what's good for you, she's trying to pull you down, Potter!" Snape shouted at my back, and that's when I cracked._

_My hand flickered to my robes without a second thought, my wand easily coming into my hand and slipping out from the pocket in my robes. I spun on the spot and pointed the tip of the wood right at Snape, center of his chest, and felt the rage and hatred rise within me. "Impedimenta!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, a flash of purple light bursting from the tip of my wand and hitting Snape in the chest, knocking him backwards into the wall behind him. _

I still say that the git had that hex coming at him for what he said, and he deserved me to do worse—but I took into consideration of Sirius telling me that Lily knew that I was better. I was better than that, and I was going to always work hard to be better than stooping to Snape's level.

I smiled at Lily and handed her the cloth back, her smiling at me and taking it and began to wipe away some of the blood away from my face as well. She was using gentle strokes as I was, and was being sure that she never used too much pressure to the point where it would be too much for me to have on the new open wound.

"James…" Lily trailed off, a grimace crossing her face. I looked at her from the corner of my eye; Snape was doing the same thing.

"What is it? Am I going to need something done to it?" I asked, looking into her eyes. Lily shook her head no, and her skin turned a light shade of green, making her look sick; I began to panic slightly. I turned in my seat and took one of her hands in mine and placed it on my lap, rubbing soothing circles around the outside. "Lily, what is it? You look like you're going to be sick, Lily." I asked, taking my free hand and brushing back some of her dirty hair behind her ear.

"Yo-you're ear… there's something there." She gasped, her skin turning to a bit of a deeper shade as she reached up to the side of my head with a tentative hand. Her finger tip ghosted like a shadow down my hair and around my ears, stopping right below my ear; she pushed her fingers forward slightly and pulled back. Where she had pushed her fingers forward slightly I could feel something thick and sleek around on my face—it made me want to crawl right out from my skin. When Lily pulled her hand back and showed me what was on her fingertips, a thick yellow-orange-ish puss was dripping from her hand, and when it landed on the wood something purple came up and out of it—looking hairy. She shivered, coming into my arms slightly and cowering within herself.

"What IS that?" Sirius asked me, looking back from me to Lily to Moony. Moony had come in right when I asked Lily what was wrong, and now he was looking down at the purple hairy puss on the bench and the yellow-orange puss on Lily's fingers.

"I don't know," Lily answered, gagging slightly on the end, her skin going ever deeper into that shade of green. I took her hand and wiped it clean of the strange puss, using my robe tatters and making sure that what I wiped off was out of Lily's line of sight. She smiled at me with her thanks and gratitude, going back to Moony to discuss just what was seeping out from my ear.

"Well, I think that it was dark magic, maybe one of them jinxed him with some spell that causes boils to pop out in the place where it hits—I did see him get hit there once. Maybe if that's the spell, then the boil burst and that… puss came out…" Lily suggested like she was desperately trying to find the answer. Remus shrugged, not sure what the answer will be. He turned his gaze towards me and moved towards me as well, touching the tip of his wand to just below my ear. I could feel some of the puss come out and he pulled the stuff back, looking at it; his light hazel eyes scanning the tip of his wand with curiosity and interest. If I knew anyone that would be fascinated with their mate's ear puss coming out, and said puss was unidentifiable, it would be Moony.

"_You better watch it, Potter!" Regulus shouted at me, reaching into his robes and pulling out his wand. He raised the piece of wood and pointed the tip right at my chest. "Stupefy!" he shouted, a jet of red light coming from his wand and hitting me in the right shoulder. I grunted and flew back, hitting against a tree trunk and causing several different pears to fall to the ground. _

_I could see Padfoot fume at the sight of his brother hexing me, and that was going to be the last straw for him. Sirius turned and pulled out his own wand, and shouted "Locomotor Mortis!" making his wand point directly at his brother's legs just in time for the flash of light to hit him, causing his legs to bind together. _

_Regulus began flailing his arms in quick and small circles as he tried to keep what little balance that he had left; his body was wobbling from side to side as gravity began to take its toll on his state at the moment. The Slytherin fell to the ground and landed with a grunt, his nose snapping loudly as it came in contact with the hard stone._

_A couple of passing by sixth years saw the act that Padfoot gave and pulled out their wands as well, dropping all books that they had in their arms and bags. They pointed the tips at Sirius and shouted "Furnuniculus!" Two jets of blue light shot from their wands, the light being fluid and moving in perfect curves as they joined together and hit Sirius in the jugular vein. His skin started to break out in large red boils all over his neck, and they began to climb their way up his neck and onto his face. _

"_OI!" Rebecca yelled at the students as she ran to them and fired a silent jinx at the two, effectively knocking them straight to their backs. Right after she checked that they were down for the moment, she sprinted to the two of us and helped Sirius and I up from our positions on the ground. Her black hair was slightly tousled from her sudden spell, and she was out of breath—but fine nonetheless. _

"_Are you two alright?" She demanded, eyes flickering between the two of us. Rebecca didn't even give us a moment to answer her. "How the bloody hell did the two of you start this? How did this happen? Are you trying to get detentions with McGonagall for the rest of the year? Wait—don't answer that last one…" _

"_Rebecca, we're fine, and we didn't start it—they did." Sirius defended for the both of us, pointing to the four down Slytherins in front of us. _

"_And we're going to finish it." Jonathan Avery stated proudly from his standing post in front a small group of Slytherins. _

_The muscles in my back instantly went as stiff as a board, my spine shooting straight up and my hand tightening around the engraved handle in my wand. I could feel my anger getting to a dangerous point, the bubbles about to overflow and slip out through my wand. _

_Rebecca and Sirius stood as well, Rebecca holding her stance tightly—showing them that she was not weak to them but a strong witch. Sirius stood tall, his chin out in front of him as he glared down his nose at the group of students that stood in front of us. _

"_We don't want any trouble, Avery." Rebecca sneered at the boy, her eyes narrowing into small slits. _

_Avery threw back his head and laughed at the statement, as if she were a comedian and not being serious about every word that came from her mouth. The sounds of his laughter sent cold chills rippling down my spine, it felt like Avery was laughing over a murder and was proud of it. My arms and neck erupted in Goosebumps._

"_Oh, little girl─" Rebecca sneered at the title "—if only you knew that you were the one to hex us and we have the right to finish what your boyfriend here started." He stated as if it were the law. _

"_You have the right? It was self defense you gits! Don't you know anything after all that Slughorn has taught you about what goes on around us and you jus─"_

"_Stupefy!" One of the several Slytherins shouted, hitting Rebecca in the arm and causing her to fling backwards. She hit the wall behind her hard and Sirius began to fume beside me, blood running straight to his face—making his face flush with rage. _

"_Impedimenta!" Sirius shouted, and so the larger fight started with several more students coming in and firing their jinxes at the opposing students. _

_The fight seemed to begin and end so fast that my head was hurting just trying to recall how it all started and who was trying to jinx or curse who. When Lily and Remus came in, the fight had been going on for several minutes and they seemed to help us drastically… _

_Several of the Slytherins had already resorted to tearing and gripping anything that they could get their hands on in order to distract us. The Gryffindor Quidditch team was already in on the fight and firing at whomever they could, and trying to help those that were cursed and couldn't move. _

The wooden door to Professor McGonagall's office opened and a fifth year Gryffindor walked out, dirt covering just about every inch of skin that was exposed to the outside. The old professor seemed to hold the authoritative demeanor and was scowling at all those that were left of the fight.

"Those of you whom I know were just joining in as bystanders may leave. Potter, Black—both of you, Snape, Evans, Lupin, Pettigrew, Woods, and Avery come in here—now." She ordered, turning and walking back into the room.

I rose with Lily and the two of us walked into the room, hand-in-hand, and the rest of those that were in Gryffindor were either in front of us or beside us. Snape and Regulus trudged behind us, their feet dragging against the flooring and both of their heads hung low. Avery seemed pleased that he was caught in his act; he was hoping that Gryffindor was going to get the short end of the stick when it came to the punishment.

McGonagall sat at her desk, looking at the lot of us like she was staring each and every one of us down to get the culprit. "Would one of you like to tell me how this started?" She asked, looking up at us above the thin frames of her spectacles. Her eyebrows rose in expectation of someone to come forward and give her the tale of what happened—whether it is true or false. When not one person volunteered to come clean, the professor made the choice for us. "Mr. Snape, could you please tell me what happened?" She asked.

"Regulus and I were just walking to our next class, Professor, and then Potter and Black came up to us and just began to coax us to starting a duel." He lied smoothly. "When we just walked on, it sort-of set them off and Potter hexed me and then Regulus followed to him in self defense."

"And then what happened?" McGonagall pressed, not even looking up from the small pile of parchment on her desk.

"Sirius jinxed Regulus and then Avery came in to help us, and Rebecca began to swear at us—the fight broke out after that, Professor. I was hit several times and I noticed that more and more students were just coming in and aiming random spells at us; some of them even being Dark Magic, too. The Gryffindors were outnumbering the Sytherins when the Quidditch teams started to come in and get into the fight too… It wasn't until Professor Flitwick and Slughorn came in that the fighting stopped…" Snape began to make his eyes tear up—trying to give Professor McGonagall the sympathy card. I fought the horribly strong urge and impulsion to roll my eyes to the back of my head.

"That's a bold face lie!" Sirius shouted, his face beginning to turn red from his anger.

"Professor, he's telling you a complete lie!" Lily added on from right beside me, taking a step forward and squeezing my hand tightly.

McGonagall held up a hand to silence Lily and Sirius as they shouted that Snape was telling her a lie, her old wrinkled hand not moving once it was in the air. Lily and Sirius instantly stopped talking and both of them stepped back, Lily automatically taking my hand in hers; I squeezed her hand for support but hers remained limp in my own. We all stood waiting in utter silence as McGonagall stood bent over her desk and thought about the words that were going to come out of her mouth.

I could feel my jaw tense more and more as each second ticked by that the professor stood at her desk, thinking. Lily stood beside me with a poker face well played, her hand still remained limp in my own—never moving and not even taking the time to wrap her fingers around mine. I admired her for keeping everything that I know was running through her mind to herself so that she didn't get into even deeper trouble.

"I wish to here from Mr. Lupin next on what he saw of the fight and just how he got in it." She spoke out after at least five minutes of painfully silent thinking.

_Snape barged through the grand oak doors that lead to the castle and threw his book bag to the side, forgetting about it completely; he pulled his wand from his robes and immediately dove into the battle, not caring who he hit just as long as it wasn't a Slytherin._

_He turned towards me and smiled, showing me each and every one of his yellowing disgusting teeth; his deep black eyes glinting with evil. He raised the dark wand that was in his hand and cast a non-verbal spell, sending a flash of orange light right towards my eyes._

_My mind sped into overdrive and I immediately muttered,"Protego!" and made a quick swing of my wand upwards, creating a shield for the curse to bounce off. Snape sneered as his Conjunctivitis jinx went off and hit a seventh year Slytherin in the eyes, causing him to have temporary impaired vision. _

"_Potter, you'll pay for that!" Snape shouted, his eyes glowing with his outright rage and hatred. _

"_Or what Severus Snape?" I heard someone yell from behind me, a much more feminine voice then any of those that were fighting—and Rebecca was all the way over next to Sirius. I turned slightly, making my neck crane to find Lily striding over with her wand clasped in her hand and her face nearly as angered as Snape's . "What are you going to do, Snape?" She challenged, taking her stance for dueling and having her wand completely at the ready. _

_Snape tilted his head back and laughed at her, as if Lily were some form of a joke that I did on April Fool's Day. "Oh, you don't know just how much I have been waiting for this day, Mudblood." Snape sneered as he lowered into his dueling stance as well. _

_My blood boiled within me as the last word left his lips, the practical curse word echoing in my ears. I frowned deeply and stood in my stance as well—only giving the toerag a chance as that because of Lily._

"_Stupefy!" Snape shouted, casting one of the easiest spells that we have ever been taught during our entire education in Hogwarts. Lily easily blocked the spell and sent out a non-verbal one herself, throwing her body out of the way just in time for a confudus charm to miss her. The charm went flying to the Slytherin girl behind her, getting ready to throw a hex, hitting her right in the gut—she dropped her wand and began to wander around. _

_Lily's spell hit Snape square in the chest and bounced him back, making him hit the stone wall that was behind him, taking two others with him. She dashed to me right after, her lightning green eyes wide with her fury and worries._

"_Are you alright?" She asked, looking me over once to survey the amount of injuries that I had on my body._

_I smiled at her and nodded, showing her that I was perfectly fine—Lily gave me an encouraging smile in return. "I', fine, just a few cuts and scrapes; I've had worse from just going out into my front yard." I teased. Lily gave a slight giggle, despite the situation._

"_Sectusempra!" Someone yelled from just a short distance away from Lily and me. A light came hurtling toward us and hit Lily right on her shoulder, and she gasped and gave a slight scream in her pain, falling to the ground. On her way down, her hair seemed to be floating around her, as if someone hit the off switch on gravity for a moment and Lily was the only person that took effect, tears were brimming on her eyes as her pain rose in her throat and spread the burning through her body. Her right hand went up to the spot where the hex hit and gripped it tightly, and a deep red blood seeped through, staining her perfect black robes. Her robes were ripped where the hex hit as well, as her white button down shirt, showing her perfectly white skin that was flawless in every way. A huge red gash was circling around her arm, as if someone took a sword and slashed at the arm but didn't quite cut it off._

"_Lily!" I screamed, my voice just as loud— if not louder—than her own screams of pain. My mind jumped to speed as I thought of spells. I healed her as well as I could for a student that didn't bother to take those classes._

"_Who is with you?" I asked, moving her behind a tree where Sirius was nursing a cut on his side. _

"_Remus and I came from potions, following Snape; he was running to get to the fight." Lily gasped as I set her down on the cobblestone. "I don't know where he is now." She whispered, either to me or herself, as she worked on her own wounds that didn't heal._

_I craned my neck and grazed my eyes over all the people that were involved in the fight, not finding Moony anywhere. I even went back and looked twice at each person that was in the courtyard and found no trace of Moony at all. _

"_What are you looking for James?" A male voice asked from behind me._

"_I'm looking for Moony, but he's deep in that fight… I don't know where the bloody hell he could be. That might be—" I gasped pointing at a mass on the edge of the fight "—oop, no that's Peter running away. Where the hell is he?" I asked to no one in particular, just wanting to know where my friend is._

_I heard a familiar laugh and two girlish giggles from behind me, along with an easy chuckle. I could feel my brow furrowed as I thought of where I hear the familiar laugh before…_

"_Why don't you look the other way, Prongs?" _

_I turned only to find Moony standing right behind me the entire time that I was looking for him; blood rushed to my cheeks in my untimely embarrassment._

Remus accounted for the story, starting from where he and Lily were rushing to catch up with Snape after potions, right to where McGonagall came in and stopped everything, keeping the entire story to the truth and nothing different from it. About every other sentence she would nod her head, or tap lightly against the wood of her desk as each word flew out from Moony's mouth; I could feel my anxiety pile up each time she made a movement.

By the end of the story, Professor McGonagall seemed to have already had her mind set on one conclusion.

"Mr. Snape, I asked you to give me an account as to what happened with the fight and you clearly have lied to me with the reaction that I received from the Gryffindors here; so as a punishment for lying on such a tremendous account, you will receive two weeks of detention with me—and the same goes for you, Regulus Black. Now, just for causing a fight, you all will receive a week's worth a detention with me, and the Slytherins better go to Professor Slughorn and speak with him about this as well. Am I understood?" She asked, glowering at all of us over the rims of her small round glasses.

All of us turned and walked to the door, the Slytherins reaching and heading out first—not even bothering a look back. Once we were all out of earshot of the Professor, I sighed and smiled—slinging my arm around Lily's shoulders to relax after being tense for so long.

"Well," I smiled, looking around at all of the people that I would be spending every night with for the next week, "I can say that I've had worse." I laughed.

**MUST READ AUTHORS NOTE!!!!!!!!!!!**

**Well, I am finally done with this mega long and hard chapter… but I'm sad to see it end, not the story—just the chapter. **

**Alright, so you now know what happened when Lily and Lupin got out of class in the last chapter, so I hope that this was good. **

**I am dead tired and most of this was written and most likely edited in the middle of the night so excuse some of the lack in vocabulary and description. I know that it's been forever since I've updated, but Owl and I can promise that so much has happened with emotions that it would have affected the writing somehow. I hope that you guys forgive me and that you still will read and review. **

**Beta Note: Well, that was purely awesome and that would be all I can say. xDD That went great, and yeah i think i'm gonna permanently stop the beta note in question. I fail and never should have started it in the first place... just angers people and get in the way. Wish me luck with my IPod problems. Can't wait for the next chapter. *checkmark* Approved.**

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	11. Verry Important NOTE!

**Dearest Readers,**

**I know that I have disappointed you with the thought that this was going to be yet another chapter in the daring tale of James' fight to win over Lily... and I am deeply sorry to say that it is not. **

**My single charging chord for my laptop has either shorted out on me, or has over heated to the extent where it is no longer available to use. **

**I have the entire next chapter of 'New Chances' written on my laptop, but I have used up the last ounce of juice that it contained to try and finish up some of my newest chapter. The moment that I can get to my Word Documents once again, I will email Owl the newest chapter of 'New Chances' and hopefully it will be updated soon. **

**Now, please please PLEASE do not expect to have the email alert saying that there is a new chapter for 'New Chances' in your inbox on Saturday or Sunday morning, because I can nearly promise you that it isn't going to happen. I can write a chapter in a day, yes, but then I have to email that chapter to my Beta, Owl, and it takes her TIME and effort to edit my chapters not to mention the simple fact that she needs to be in the mood to sit down at her computer and edit the chapters; and I as well need to be in my mood to sit down and write about James and Lily for hours on end. It is simply impossible for a writer and an editor to sit down end expect the same mood and emotion put into the story if it is forced from their minds with no read FEELING in it. **

**Seeing as my updating schedule mainly revolves around Owl at the moment, I cannot give you a set date on the new chapter. I trust Owl with the well being of my many stories and that alone says quite the statement. I trust Owl to know the importance of the next chapter and I can assure you that she will feel quite obligated to edit it as soon as she can. If Owl is taking too long to edit the next chapter, then I can promise that I will be having a personal word with her over the matter. And she is getting this note as well to know just how important this is to me.**

**With the deepest regret and apologies,**

**~Bookworm928**

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** I will edit ASAP when the chapter is sent to me, but as Vera said there has to be a certain mood set around when editing or writing. I know both of these feelings, and unless a horrible job is to be done there needs to be a certain feeling in order to write or edit/read. Hope we can both get our jobs done soon. :3**

** The girl who has her iPod now working,**

** ~Owl**


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series, J. K. Rowling owns it. And I do not own James unfortunately…**

**Okay, so my computer is now working—thanks to my wonderful and smart dad. My charging chord was burnt out so I had to buy a new one… strangle that new one cost me $100. But I guess that it was worth it seeing as my new one is smaller, lighter, and can adapt to nearly any laptop. And to some of my most dedicated readers who loved Owl's comments, good news for you: Owl has decided that she will continue on her commentary and won't listen to a thing that the reviews say!**

**MUST READ!:**

**This chapter is later than I promised, but it took me nearly three weeks to write (ask Owl) and I put all of my energy into this. I hope that you like it; this one is filled with loads of giggling, and some stress.**

**Beta Note: Yes. Took very long to write. *reads off of script* OKAY! I've got my Dr Pepper, my Music, & I'm in an editing mood so LETS DO THIS. xDD**

**Lily Evans**

"Miss Evans?" I heard Professor McGonagall ask from the front of the classroom—her voice gave a slight echo off the walls.

My head snapped up from the small piece of parchment that was in front of me, letting my eyes fall on the hedgehog that was sitting on her desk, a freezing charm cast on the poor animal. Nearly everyone else in the class knew what I was doing, and it wasn't paying attention to the lesson for once. The eyes of Amy and Sirius were on me, showing the already known fact that McGonagall had asked me a question that she expected me to answer.

_Oh, God… how the bloody hell can I get out of this one?_ I thought in a rush.

"I'm sorry, Professor. I didn't quite understand your phrasing of the question. Could you please repeat it?" I asked, trying to hide the parchment under the book containing Dante's poems. **(Owl: Hmm, now what could that parchment possibly have written on it? ;3 Book: Well, I don't know…)**

The aggravation was as clear as water **(Owl: What if it's muddy water? Book: Jeeze Owl… Do you HAVE to come up with something to contradict my writing? Owl: Yes, yes I do. It's my JOB, Vera. XD)** in McGonagall's eyes, showing me that she knew I was scrambling to try and come up with something to tell her—anything. She made her back a little straighter and gripped on her wand a little tighter in her hands, her old knuckles starting to turn white. "Very well, let's start from the beginning then, Miss Evans." I already dreaded what was coming next.

"What are we learning about today Miss Evans? Answer wrong, and _the note comes forward_."

I knew it. Letting my green eyes follow the line that Annie's were making I caught sight of the chalkboard—one of the professor's favorite ways to teach us. Written at the top of the board in a curling cursive was _Objective for the day: Learning how to transfigure garden animals into useful household items_. I repeated the words back, leaving out the objective phrase and revising it slightly so it seems as if I wasn't reading it right off of the board. Professor was astonished that I seemed to be paying attention for at least that part of the class period. **(Owl: How convenient! xDD)**

Professor McGonagall nodded and walked in a slow circle around the front of the room, tapping her wand on the inside of her palm, sending little sparks into the air as she did so. "And how are we conjuring the spell to cause this transfiguration to take place?" She fired the second question, turning on her heels to look me in the eye.

I could feel my arms tense at the unexpected question, my neck straining against the muscles and tendons that ran along my interior flesh. Sweat started to bead along my forehead and the nape of my neck, my face felt flushed and hot—the heat continued down my body. I could feel my brain thinking at the quickest it could, theories and possibilities flying at me mentally, I thought about what we had been practicing with all week and even into last week. A small minuscule movement was seen out on my peripheral vision, and I turned slightly to get a better look at it. Amy was closing her lips into a fine line, rolling in her lips as well. Her right index finger was draped over the desk in a casual manner, but in this case it was moving in a quick downward movement and then snapping back up only a fraction of the way up. She was giving me a clue.

"Silently, and using a quick swish and flick motion with our wands; one of the most simple movements that casts a spell, Professor." I answered, making a quick mental note that I would have to go off and thank Amy after class for the life saver that she gave me.

McGonagall seemed to be pleased with my answer, nodding her head slightly as she did yet another quick circle in the space that was left over in the front of the classroom for her own movement. I knew that in her mind she was thinking of some way to make me come forward with the fact that I really wasn't paying attention to her lesson, and to be honest with it all—I thought that I wasn't going to be able to make it through the interrogation that she was giving me.

"What is one of the most common items that we use animals to transfigure into?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at me with her new question in the air.

I knew this one off the top of my head, seeing as she told us this back in our fifth year when she had just started teaching us the basics of the wizarding form of Home Economics. "There is no most common item that is the result of the transfiguration; we rarely even find the right animals to use in such a form. Rats, mice, hedgehogs, small birds, and frogs generally make up the list of the animals that are most useful in times such as this lesson—seeing as they can generally be found just about anywhere." I answered without a second thought. **(Owl: Smart person o-o Book: Well, Owl… it's LILY EVANS!)**

Professor McGonagall hesitated, considering my words and mulling them over in her mind before she let her next sentence ring out from her lips. "Eyes on the front of the room here students; you're not out of this castle yet."

I let a small sigh escape my lips when a small fluttering butterfly made from parchment came flying into my lap, landing on my open palm. I shot a quick glance to McGonagall only to find her writing on the board once again, and unfolded the small note.

_Nice lying skills, Evans. I have to say that I'm shocked that you know how to lie to your teachers like that. Sorry that I got you busted by McGonagall though…. My fault. _

_Yours and always, _

_James_

I smiled once I read the note, making sure to keep it small enough to where Professor McGonagall won't question me again. I turned around in my seat to find James' intense eyes staring at me with a small smirk set in place on his lips. He was leaning on his desk, slouching over to the point where his head was resting in his hands in order to keep it held up. His tie was loosened and he discarded his black robe earlier today, his sweater vest remaining. The sleeves to his white button down were rolled up to his elbows, showing the wiry but subtle muscles that ran along his forearms. He winked at me when our gazes locked, his smile growing only slightly—but enough for me to notice. **(Owl: Ew, with the lovey mushy stuff. x.x Book: You're so un-girl Owl…)**

_Thank you_. I mouthed to him, not even bothering with the notes. I could feel the blush already starting to creep up my neck, the heat from the blood was intense.

_Anytime._ He mouthed back, giving me a huge smirk and yet another wink when he was done.

_Git_. I whispered quietly, giving him an eye roll before I turned back to the front of the room, taking my quill and scribbling down the notes that the professor was giving us at the speed of light.

Another parchment note came flying to my palm, only this one was folded into a swan. I opened it quickly and read the few words that he had written on the page this time.

_But you're still dating me_.** (Owl: Lmao! Win! Approved! Success!)**

~*~

I was running late. Not just a couple of minutes late, but more of twenty minutes at the least late. _Again. _

This was the fourth time this week that something had happened to where I was running late; whether that thing was the fact that I couldn't seem to find a shoe, that my brush ran away, or that random things continuously occurred causing me to lag each time.

James and I were going to Hogsmeade today, and now I couldn't find my coat, boots or hat. It was October! I couldn't go out in the cold for a day without a coat at the least. I was meant to be in the Common Room to meet him twenty-five minutes ago—and I'm still trying to get dressed for the weather.

"Alice!" I groaned, throwing two of my sweaters behind me as I dug through my trunk looking for my coat. I heard Alice's boots hit against the wood as she walked out from the bathroom to find me.

"Lily, what's wrong?" She asked, already assuming the worst of the worst.

I turned around to see her hair pulled back in a slightly sloppy bun, but it looked very chic. Several small loose strands were hanging around her somewhat childish face, framing her cheekbones and forehead, but she still made it look as casual as it could be. Her blouse was a little much for a simple trip to Hogsmeade but I knew that Frank wouldn't protest to it, her brown boots were hidden under the leg of her jeans.

"Can you please tell me that you've seen my coat, boots and hat somewhere around here within the last three hours?" I begged, nearly to the point where I would be on my hands and knees.

"Can't say that I have, Lily…. I'm sorry." She offered, her voice sympathetic as could be. I smiled at how sweet she was. "I know what it's like to be there though, trust me." She added, a slight giggle at the end.

I couldn't help but smile with her at her added comment, almost forgetting about my current situation. Almost.

"Could you please go downstairs to look for James and tell him that I'm running late." I begged, letting my bottom lip stick out in a pout.

Alice complied, going straight to our door and leaving within five seconds at most—which was great time considering that there was a large mess by the door from my looking for my missing articles of clothing. I continued on with my shifting through my belongings in my school trunk, hoping desperately that I would be able to find everything sooner rather than later. I found an old travelling cloak from my fourth year, along with a letter that I meant to mail to Petunia for Christmas over three years ago, but changed my mind in the end. Old shoes from third year, letters from Mum and Dad dating as far back as first year; all of which were found in the bottom depths of my school trunk.

I heard a small click and then slamming of wood against a barrier, as if something was blocking…. a door. My "cleaning" had effectively barricaded the door better than one of the four post beds could. I gave a slight laugh and rose to help shove the discarded possessions aside, finding both my boots and my hat at the bottom of the pile—lying right next to some of Amy's belongings. She had borrowed my hat and boots? She didn't even bother asking me… why didn't she return them when she was finished? **(Owl: OOOH Someone's in trouble now! ;3 Book: OH YEAH!)**

"Looks like we only have to find your coat now." Alice muttered, bending down to snatch up my crème beret that was on the floor and reaching over to grab the top of my brown leather boots as well. "Why are they next to Amy's things?" She asked, stretching to try and toss the items on my bed so that we didn't lose them again anytime soon.

"I don't know… she didn't even bother asking me—not recently to the point where I could remember." I answered, finally looking up from the spot on the floor next to Alice. My mind snapped back to the reason as to why she was here. "What did James say?" I asked, turning around to try and continue on with the epic quest to find my hat.

"That you don't need to worry about. He's a big boy and knows how to wait for a lady when she is…er… inconvenienced with getting ready for a date." She giggled, going off and looking through some things that I threw on the floor in my rush.

I gave a giggle as well, shifting through some old robes that I needed to have washed. My eyes wandered from item to item, making sure that not one thing went by without me looking at it. I needed to find that coat!

"Hey, Lily?"

"Hmmm?" I hummed, too concentrated to really pay attention.

"What coat are you looking for?" Alice asked, her voice muffled slightly.

"The only one that I own, it's the crème pea coat that I got for Christmas last year from Mum. Remember? I never really got the chance to wear it until this year." I answered, pushing aside some old books that I had read countless times. **(Owl: Love the book comment. It adds Lily-ness ;3 Book: Well, it is Lily here Owl…)**

"Well then, I found it!" She announced, her voice rather chipper now.

My back snapped up and I turned to find Alice holding up my coat with two fingers, letting it swing back and forth with a smirk set on her face. I chuckled and put my hands on my hips. "Do I want to know where it was?" I asked, scared to know where the bugger was the entire time.

"Sitting on your chair, right next to your mirror." Alice was trying her hardest to contain her laughter. "What grades do you get again Miss Evans?" She teased, throwing it at me, my shoes and hat following right after. I rolled my eyes at her, bending down to put my feet in my boots and zipping them up.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…. I know, I know. You people do not need to tell me these things twice. I only have book smarts, once I step into the Common Room I swear I get just as moronic as a rock." I laughed at myself, snatching up Mary's brush in an attempt to smooth out my hair. I secured my beret around my head, making it tilt slightly to the side, and letting my hair fall as loosely as it could while being confined in my knit French head wear.

"Well, James is going to be happy that you're _finally_ going down there." Alice joked coming over to grab her coat as well, smiling at me.

"I know. I can't wait either." I joked, grabbing my coat with one hand and opening the door with the other—allowing Alice to go before me down the stairs, I had the chance to pull my sweater down at the hem, making sure that it was wrinkle free.

~*~

"C'mon, Lily! I know that you can run faster than that!" James teased, dashing far ahead of me along the old wood and barb wired fence. His crimson scarf was flying behind him in the wind, his feet pushing back the fallen leaves as he ran along, laughing.

"James!" I laughed, trying to follow him in my brown heeled boots. **(Owl: Yes kiddies, always go with style before comfort ._. I know I wouldn't!)** The chilly wind was nipping at my face, making small needles prick at my cheeks and nose. "James this isn't fair! You're in Quidditch, I'm not!" I yelled trying to convince him to slow down.

All that I could hear was his laughter as he continued on down along the fence to the point where I couldn't even see him anymore, his laughter and teasing the only way that I was able to navigate towards him. The leaves were falling all around me, the oranges, reds, and yellows fading together and swirling with one another in the wind blowing through the cold English air. Goose bumps were rising on the skin of my arms from the chill in the air, several tremors making their way down my spine as the wind gave another large blow to my body.

"Run, run, run as fast as you can!" James sang from several meters ahead of me. "You can't catch me, I'm James bloody Potter!" He teased, a light laugh coming out at the end. **(Owl: You've gotta love that one. xDD)**

I laughed along with him, pushing aside a branch that extended across the narrow path that I was walking along. Once the branch was out from my sight a large and eerie house could be seen past the fence, a small gate three meters from my stance. The house was leaning to the side, several of the planks of wood that held it together coming off of the structure. Shingles off the roof were visible from where I was standing and they were blowing in the wind, most likely only hanging on by a single nail. The wood of the house was dark, and the windows were blacked out by thick, moth eaten curtains that hung in front of them.

"J-J…. James?" I called, trying to look around for him. My eyes automatically wandered to the house, knowing that it would be just like James to walk in there without a care in the world.

I took a step back from the path and the fence, not wanting to be any closer to the house more than I absolutely had to. I could feel the lump that was rising in my throat, suddenly making it hard for me to breathe and my mind was racing a hundred kilometers a second, trying to find James so that we could get out of here.

But I couldn't find him.

I reached down towards my back pocket, my hand gripping the wooden handle of my wand. Spells and hexes were running through my mind like a waterfall, only the moment that they came to mind I instantly forgot them like yesterday's paper.

"Gotcha!" A voice yelled from behind me, a pair of arms snaking around my waist and pushing me down to the leaves on the ground. I screamed from the shock, but the person had grabbed my hand and my wand went flying loose off to the side, I was defenseless.

I hit the leaves under a weight on my back, and once I felt the ground against my torso I opened my mouth getting ready to scream and kick my way free. Two hands grabbed at my shoulders and pulled me off to the side so that I rolled over onto my back, looking up at the sky—or I would be looking at the sky if a face wasn't in my way.

"That's not funny!" I scolded, trying my hardest not to laugh at my own stupidity.

James was hovering over me, not even bothering to hold in his laughter from his little trick. Small tears were coming down his cheeks the bloke was laughing so hard at his own joke. "Y-y-you know that it's funny! Oh, Merlin you should have seen your face when I came out and grabbed you…. Oh, it was priceless." He chuckled, dropping his head, trying to hide his smile; his shaking shoulders gave away his laughing.

"James Potter, I thought that your mum raised you better than this! Get off me!" I laughed, pushing weakly on his chest, trying to make my point.

Still laughing James rolled off and laid right next to me, still laughing. I rolled my eyes at him and sat up, placing all of my weight on my hands, I looked over at the still laughing teenager that was lying next to me. James sat on the cold ground, rolling around in the damp leaves for nearly five minutes before he stopped his constant chortling.

"Are you finished?" I asked, watching him rise to sit next to me wearily.

"Yes, yes I am." James smiled, rising to his feet and dusting off his jeans and coat. After he saw to it that he was cleaned of any stray leaves, James reached down and gave me an outstretched hand, offering to help me up. I smiled and took his hand, lacing my fingers with his and using his weight to my advantage as I pulled myself up.

"Oops, your hat, Lily." James muttered, bending down to snatch up my hat from the dirt covered ground. Hitting it lightly—to get it free from the dirt and stray debris that had gotten snagged in the thread composing my beret—James bowed down and smiled up at me. "You're hat, milady." He declared, coming up and setting the hat on the crown of my head.

I smiled, amazed that he gave it a thought that I actually might like some chivalry. I couldn't help the girlish giggle that escaped past my lips, along with the heat that was creeping up my neck and pooling into my cheeks. James smiled at my blush, happy with himself that he was successfully flattering me.

"So what is this place?" I asked, trying to get onto a new topic and to have to attention diverted from me.

James chuckled under his breath, and offered me his crimson gloved hand; I smiled and took it in my own gloved hand. He walked towards the fence slowly, and I could feel my fear and skepticism rising back up into my body. "Don't be scared," He whispered gently, coming to a stop and placing a light kiss on my forehead, moving to each of my cheeks, my nose, and most importantly—my lips. I kissed him softly, wrapping my arms around his neck lightly—trying to hold him closer to me for just those few seconds longer. I could feel James smiling under my lips, but after a couple of minutes he broke away. **(Owl: Ick, you're killing me here.)**

"Don't be scared, Lily." He whispered lightly against my aching lips. "I'm here, nothing is going to hurt you in any way." He assured, giving me one last light kiss.

"M-m-my wand…" I muttered randomly.

"Wait… what?"

I blushed even a deeper shade of red with my embarrassment. "My wand, I let it go when you attacked me earlier. It's on the ground." I mumbled under my breath, embarrassed that I was even bringing this up at a time like this.

"Only you would bring that up at this time." He grunted as he bent down and picked up the long shaft of wood from the ground. He flipped it in his hand, holding it at the tip—making sure that the vine imprinted handle pointed my way. "Your weapon of choice, Miss Evans." He smirked, pushing the wand slightly towards me.

I smiled right back and snatched the wand right out from his hand, making sure to put it back in my back pocket. "My only weapon, both of choice and knowledge of use…. So, I'm not meant to be afraid of this?" I asked, turning my attention back to the house and giving a small wave of the hand in its general direction.

James shook his head. "Nah, nothing is in there that can hurt you." He elaborated, taking a couple of steps towards it, grabbing at my hand to drag me along.

"Why do I have the feeling that I _should_ be afraid of it?" I asked, letting him drag me along behind him.

"Because… most people just have that natural feeling with strange places."

"This is the Shrieking Shack…." I whispered, letting my eyes travel along the structure once again. "It's said to be the most haunted house in Britain…" I muttered afterward. "We aren't going in there, are we?" I asked, my voice cracking twice with the fear that was pulsing through my heart.

James looked back at me, his eyes wide. "Bloody hell, no! I would never make you do that! I just wanted to tell you why it's here, I don't want to scare you Lily." James spoke, taking the last two steps forward to lean on the fence that lined the property of the Shrieking Shack.

"Why _is_ it here?" I asked, walking up beside James and leaning on it as well, keeping my back to the house.

James hesitated in telling me, knowing on the inside of his cheek—his eyes never moving from the old leaning building that was across the vast lawn of fallen leaves. "The Shrieking Shack was built the same year that the Whomping Willow was planted on the grounds." He started, looking at me—his eyes were telling me that I should know what year that was. the same year that we were coming to Hogwarts…. That summer when Professor Dumbledore and McGonagall had mailed our letters. "The staff built the shack actually, by the request of Professor Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Madame Pomfery. It was asked to be built here for a reason—being so close to the school, and yet being just far away from Hogsmede that it wouldn't draw any suspicion from the locals. A tunnel was dug, leading under the grounds to come into Hogsmede, a tunnel that was covered up with the Whomping Willow. It was the ideal tree to be placed over the tunnel, violent enough to start swinging at anyone that dared to go near it, therefore keeping the tunnel safe and hidden; the only people who could get past it were the members of the staff that knew the knot to prod with their wand to make it go paralyzed for only a few moments. The tunnel then leads to a series of twists and turns, eventually leading to the Shrieking Shack's stairs.

"The reason that both were built, and in the same summer, was for one student who had a condition that he couldn't control. A condition that made itself quite known every twenty-eight or so days… when the full moon would finally make its peak in the sky." James spoke, looking at the domestic house now, near tears from where I was standing.

"Remus…" I whispered unconsciously, knowing that he was a werewolf, and that he had been one for quite some time—even before I or James knew him.

James nodded. "Every month, when the full moon would show itself in the night sky, some members of the teaching staff—mainly the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, McGonagall, and Dumbledore—would have him meet them in the dungeon or something and take him to the willow… having him spend his time as a werewolf in the Shrieking Shack. That's why those rumors of it being haunted got started, from Remus' moans when he was changing… and during the time that he was a wolf." James shuttered at the old memories. Even us students back at the grounds—up in Gryffindor Tower—had heard the moans and screams coming from the small house.

"After each night he would stay there during the day… in the bedroom where a bed is—sleeping. That's why he would be gone for a couple of nights afterwards… he would be catching up on his sleep, and the teachers would claim that he was sick.

"After the first couple of months Sirius, and I were starting to think that he wasn't all that sick… seeing as it was every month.—so soon we pressed Remus to tell us. And he did. From Christmas on the four of us kept it a secret to ourselves, watching Remus go off each month and practically come back looking like someone tortured him. For a year we watched this happen to our best friend… then finally when we were about through midterm in our second year, Sirius, Remus, Peter and I went up to Dumbledore and all said that we wanted to help with Remus'…er... condition. 'If you wish to help your friend, the best thing to do was to just let the staff take care of it' he told us… but we knew better than that. Remus told him that werewolf bites only have an effect on humans—muggle or wizard—but not animals, otherwise there would be loads of were-animals running the streets too." He chuckled slightly.

"Remus told him that if we were to become Animanguses then if he were to bite us in that form it wouldn't do any harm to us. The only thing that would be left in the morning would be a scar… if even that. If we could leave at the same time, all four of us, then there would be no need for the staff to help—seeing as the three of us would be there to help him. If we could do that, then there would be less likely of a chance for someone to get hurt—with us being animals when this is happening and since we are his best friends we would never let something happen to him… especially during a time like that… After about an hour and a half talking about it, Dumbledore finally agreed to let us take the classes, but seeing as we were too young to even be thinking about that he said that we couldn't be registered at the Ministry when we were finished with the classes." He smiled and gave a quiet, whispering chuckle. I could barely make it out from the wind that was ever-constantly blowing around us.

"So we took the classes, and within a few months all of us were finished with them all—passing the final test with McGonagall easily. Right at the next full moon we started to help Remus get in and out of the Shrieking Shack. We would come back in the morning after the transformation and resume our classes as if nothing had happened, to not draw as much attention. We continued this for years… and nearly every time we were successful as well, just one time someone got in the way."

"The time in third year with Severus." I whispered, keeping along with the story easily.

James nodded slowly, shifting so that he could grab my hand and squeeze it lightly, giving me a small smile. I smiled and in return and squeezed his hand. "I heard him talking… to some of the other Slytherins about how he thought that I jumped in and pulled him back from the Whomping Willow that night. About how it was to save my own skin, and that I was just protecting my friends from getting into trouble… As you now know, that is the farthest thing from the truth. There was no way that we could have gotten in trouble for being out there with permission, and the only thing that I was protecting him from was Remus taking the chance and losing control around Snape…and then it be too late for us to do anything. Even though I hate the git to hell and back, I could never let that happen to someone." **(Owl: Oh, he just has to be nice xD... & I'm a little sketchy on the story of Remus & The rest with their animal forms, but I'll just take Vera's word for it ;3 Book: Well, Facebook told me that I was right in the end!)**

"What you did was very brave, and—more than anything—smart. You were thinking about the consequences, and just what they were going to cost… I admire you for that." I smiled, standing up on my toes so that I could kiss his cheek. **(Owl: Ick.)**

James chuckled when I pulled back, and reached for my left cheek—gently guiding me back to his lips. I smiled and pressed my lips to his, letting my body turn so that it fit into his the way it should. I let my gloved hands travel up the wool of his coat, and let them rest at the base of his neck. His hands roamed along my waist and hips, coming up my back and towards my hair. One of his hands lightly cupped my cheek helping me move along smoothly with the kiss. A large wind gust blew in our way, causing my hair to fly everywhere and a shiver to roll down my spine. The cold caused goose bumps under my coat.

I broke the kiss and leaned against James, letting his body heat keep me as warm. He wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me closer to his torso as he bent down and pressed a soft kiss to the crown of my hair. **(Owl: Ew, ew, ew, ew ,ew!!)**

"Let's go to the tea shop in town, it'll warm you up." He offered, beginning to take the first few steps and taking me along. I smiled and let him guide me, anticipating the warmth that the hot tea and fire would give.

~*~

The fire crackled lightly in the fireplace, creating one of the few sounds in the room. Some people were whispering about to one another—gossiping—and others were studying for an upcoming test. I, on the other hand, was in pure bliss.

I was leaning against James' torso, my knees propped up so that I could easily rest my book while I read. I was sitting on one of the couches in the Gryffindor Common Room, my entire body placed up on the couch sideways—effectively taking up most of the room—as James sat facing forward towards the fire. I was leaning against him, glad that he was sitting right next to the arm rest. He was flipping through something that rested in his lap.

"What are you doing?" James asked, after a few moments of silence. He was twirling a piece of my hair around two of his fingers, keeping himself distracted.

"Reading." I answered simply, trying not to make my tone snort or scoff.

"Just what is Lily Evans reading now?" He asked, trying to get me to be more specific about my book.

I laughed at his feeble attempts to sound subtle, putting my book down and turning to face him. "It's a romance novel, not your thing." I joked, kissing him on the cheek.

James chuckled and turned his head so that he could reach my lips. He was being sweet about his kisses, trying not to rush into things and get the other occupants of the Common Room talking about the two of us and spreading rumors. **(Owl: I'm drowning in girly. *shivers*)**

Since our trip to Hogsmeade a week ago, James and I had been nearly inseparable. He always walked me to my classes and held my large books when he did—much to my protests—and then he would be there when I got out. We ate all of the meals together as well, combining my group of friends with his—seeing as how Alice and Frank were already dating. Rebecca joined us on most days, laughing and teasing everyone just as well as the boys. Every evening we would study and do our homework together, me more than him; in my eyes I was slowly working up to becoming his tutor in most of his classes.

James let his hand cup the back of my neck, holding my closer to his lips for just a little longer, as his other hand trailed to my shoulder. His fingers grazed my skin as they followed the gentle curve that joined my arm with my torso, trailing all the way down to my hand where he intertwined our fingers together. I let my single free hand trail up his clothed chest, wrapping around his neck and pulling him closer to me as well. **(Owl: Too..girly...*'splodes* Vera, you know your writing is amazing. xD Book: Well, yes, yes I do know that my writing is awesome-ness.)**

"James! OI! James!" A frantic, scared voice yelled from behind us. I broke the kiss and sighed, not wanting to be interrupted in the slightest. James sighed as well, leaning his forehead against mine as he muttered various curse words at the unknown person.

I turned my head slightly to see Sirius running towards us, his dark eyes wide and his irises rimmed with red. His eyes were puffed slightly and his smooth cheeks were blotched with several spots of blood being close to his skin. His normally somewhat tidy black hair was in a mess, sweat making the bulk of it stick to his forehead and neck.

"James!" He panted once he got to his senses, his head hanging down as he tried to catch his breath quickly.

"Padfoot, what is it?" I asked, taking up on the nickname that James and his friends came up with when they became Animanguses.

"I-it's Remus, Prongs." Sirius panted. I was lost with the words, so I turned to James for some help—it seemed that he was just as lost as I was. "W-we didn't count the days, Prongs. It's the _night_. It's _tonight_ James." Sirius panted, trying not to give away the message that he was here delivering to everyone else in the Common Room.

"It's tonight!?" James whispered furiously, letting go of my hand and leaning towards Sirius. All that Sirius could do was nod in response, his breath still not quite caught back up with him.

"Yea, it's tonight. We have to hurry, Peter's waiting with Remus." Sirius answered, turning around and darting towards the portrait hole of the Fat Lady. Once Remus' name was hung out in the air, all of the puzzle pieces suddenly came together in my mind; everything suddenly fit together into one large crystal clear, dangerous picture. The way that Sirius was talking, the small short sentences, and why he was out of breath—it all came together now in one large, and horrible message. **(Owl: *facepalm* DUH, Lily! xD Book: Not a smart move there…)**

James muttered various curse words and sped off right after Sirius, understanding the situation now. Both of them practically jumped out from the portrait hole, running towards the Whomping Willow to help their friend. I sat alone on the couch for a moment, ignoring the pointed stares that were directed at me from James' sudden leaving. All of the information was sinking into my head, how they would be going off into the night with a friend that was dangerous and in pain… intense pain at that.

"Remus…" I whispered in pain, jumping up from the couch and running after James and Sirius.

I ran down the marble stairs quickly, taking them two at a time— the adrenaline was pumping through my system like a drug. My mind was on high alert along with all of my other senses, ready for anything that would come flying at me. I looked down towards the middle of the grand staircase, seeing that James and Sirius were already four floors below me.

I darted across each landing, losing count of which floor I was on each time my feet started down another set of stairs. I came to the entrance hall and noticed that the door was just starting to shut—and quickly as well. I knew that they couldn't be far along now. I slipped past the door in the crack that was left behind right before the door closed with a bang. The grounds weren't far from me now.

Getting to the bridge that lead to the small flat area with the rock formations, I could see that there were two silhouettes at the end of the bridge, one taller and slimmer than the other with the long shaggy hair. My legs already felt as if they were worn out from all of the running that I did down the eight flights of stairs, but I knew that I had to keep going.

Making my legs carry me just a bit farther, I started down the seemingly endless wooden bridge, determined to help. One of the shadows stopped the other and they both cast their eyes towards me. After gazing at me for less than a second, the taller one urged the shaggy one to go on staying behind to meet me at the start of the grounds.

"Lily what do you think you're doing?" James whispered to me loudly once I reached him. I thought for a moment about answering him—honestly I did—but I thought better of it. If I stopped now, someone might get hurt. Once James noticed that I wasn't going to stop and answer to him, he darted out and snatched my wrist pulling me back. **(Owl: Awh, i love that kind of scene xD)**

"Let me go," I whimpered, fighting to have him let go of my wrist, "please let me go…" I begged again, still fighting.

"Where are you going?" He demanded, pulling me back and turning my head, making me look into his worried hazel eyes.

"I-I want to help… Remus… h-he can't…" I whispered being at a loss of words.

"Lily, you're crazy if you think that you can help. I understand that he's your friend too, but you going after him on this night is just going to get yourself hurt… at the least—most likely you'll end up killing yourself. This is a death sentence." James insisted, pushing me back towards the castle.

I could feel the tears starting to burn my eyes at the somewhat rejection, the tears quickly pooling into my bottom lids. My mouth started to quiver unconsciously from the urge to cry.

"Yo-you'll get hurt." I whispered, my tears betraying my thoughts and spilling down my cheeks. "I can't let you get hurt…" **(Owl: awhh *tear tear*)**

"I'll be fine." He insisted, still pushing me back. "I've been doing this for years… I know what I'm doing when it comes to Remus; he'll be fine and I'll be fine. Just please, go back to your dormitory and sleep so that I know that I can put my mind at ease. Please, Lily." He begged, his voice trailing off into a whisper. **(Owl: Trailing off into a whisper...i like that. It reminds me of "dissipate into nothingness".)**

I looked into his eyes and saw that he was truly worried about me and didn't want me to get hurt. I knew that he was going to be fine, it was completely logical that he was—but my stubborn side wanted to believe that I could help, even though I knew that I couldn't. Remus was dangerous tonight, and my going with them wouldn't be helping anyone, I would most likely end up getting killed and being a bother to everyone else.

A loud cry of pain was heard from over his shoulder, so intense was the cry that it caused a shiver to run down my spine. It was cut off by what seemed to be a liquid choking sound. James snapped his head towards the noise, over by the Whomping Willow; I let my head follow his. Three figures were quickly making their way towards the violent tree, one was in the representation of a large dog, the hair hanging down in large clumps. The other was smaller and shorter… trying to lead the last figure toward the tree, their wands drawn. The dog was following, pushing the last person with its nose, looking back to James and I every few steps. The last person was hunched over, their spine and legs bending in various positions to the point where it didn't seem anywhere near humanly possible.

The tears started to come again at the sight of Remus being in so much pain.

"James, hurry it up!" Peter yelled from his position, pausing to poke at something at the base of the tree, causing it to still its thrashing movements.

James snapped back to me and gently took my chin in his hand, forcing me to look away from Remus and the tree. His face appeared much older than his seventeen years of age, lines of worry and anxiety making his face seemingly age by the second. He pressed a gentle kiss to my lips, trying to persuade me to go back to Gryffindor tower without words before he spoke. "Be safe, and go back to the tower. I'll be fine." He insisted, kissing me one last time before he turned around and started for the tree. **(Owl: Awh, it's icky but really sweet :3 I Approve!)**

I stayed in my place and watched him as he ran across the grounds, his legs carrying him to the Whomping Willow much quicker than mine ever could. He got to Remus and the others, pulling out his wand to poke at the same spot that Peter had, keeping the tree completely still with no chance that it would suddenly regain its movement. Peter and the large dog urged Remus into the tree; they were bending down so that they could fit in the small opening within the gnarled roots to enter the tunnel that eventually lead to the Shrieking Shack.

James waited until they were safely in the tunnel before he took one last glance at me, his eyes—even from this great distance—telling me to go back to the tower. He started for the tunnel, his form shifting until he was on all fours and a graceful stag was in his old place. The antlers were thick and standing at attention on the crown of his head, the legs tight and ready to pounce. He looked back at me once more before he ducked into the tunnel, following his friends.

My feet dragged as I made my way back to my bed, all of the running that I did before starting to catch up to me and the adrenaline leaving my system for the night and hopefully forever. I went to bed without a word to Annie, Amy, Mary or Alice—not wanting to talk about a thing and not to give away Remus' secret. I pulled the covers up to my chin and laid on my side, completely silent apart from my breathing. I allowed my eyes to wander to the full moon that was half hidden behind the clouds, my thoughts going to Remus and his current pain.

Through the open window I could hear the howl of a wolf off towards Hogsmeade, my silent question being answered. To everyone else it was the sound of a strange cry coming from deep within the Dark Forest, but to me it was a friend that was calling out in need and pain from a life that wasn't a choice.

**Okay, well this chapter is the longest that I have written for this story. It took me nearly three weeks to write this chapter, I put a lot of thought and concentration into it. I hope that it was good. The last segment (Lily running off to help) was written in a hurry and written three times. My computer thought that it would be funny if it froze up, shut down, and died on me when I was in the middle of it. Of course once I saw that my file was not retrieved I yelled "NOOOOO!!!!!" into the air VERY loudly and texted Owl to tell her my anger. So, that part isn't what it could be, but it's the best that it can be.**

**HOPE THAT YOU LIKED IT! REVIEW PLEASE!**

**Beta Note: First off, I can't believe you had a spelling error in your author's note, Vera! xDD Second: Yes, this took extremely long for poor Vera to write with all the troubles she has had and took me every moment of my free time the last three days to edit this. Sorry for anything i may have missed, it's my job and i may have , as usual an EPIC job on Vera's writing part; I am proud to be her editor and writing partner-in-crime. Hope that we managed to get all the parts right, we had a mini-crisis in the middle trying to figure out all the animagus stuff. Now REVIEW cuz we all know Vera lives off of those little note thingys. ;3**

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	13. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series, but one thing that I do own is 'The Wand Maker's Guide Book'!**

**Alright, I got back mostly happy and positive reviews from the last chapter, and I must say that I am rather pleased with myself that I could make so many people smile and make them so excited that they would write me a review that could have been turned into a college professor and gotten a perfect 'A+' on (you know who you are…. ;) ). I am writing this chapter (as is now a custom) from James' Point of View, and I hope that you are just as satisfied with this chapter as you were with the last one!**

**Beta Note: Okay it seems that i am in an editing mood. So now i shall edit. I'm not very good or anything so please forgive anything i just might happen to miss. I'm not putting in any notes today because of other people I've read the comments of personally, and just because i am not in the mood. I am terribly confused, scared, and have a deep sick sinking feeling in my gut but I shall edit this for my bestest buddy Vera-bear. My mood will not effect the awesomeness of my friend's writing, so enjoy the crap out of this one!. :33**

**James Potter**

My eyelids were going to drop at any moment, and surely once there was no light within my sights I would surely let my fatigue wash over me. My head was resting on my left fist, the curled fingers laying right up against that one spot that was between my cheek and chin, pushing the skin there upwards. My vision blurred out every now and then, my eyes watering significantly from my constant yawning.

I couldn't fall asleep though.

And I cursed every damned moment that passed in which I sat listening to the lecture.

I was the only person that I was somewhat familiar with in the room… most of the others being Hufflepuff or Gryffindors that I didn't bother to get to know over the past seven years. Lily was off in her Herbology class—of course I would be the one to know that. Sirius had study hall with McGonagall—poor bloke, and Peter was in his Potions class—I was waiting for the moment when he told me that he failed the potion of the day, _again_. Remus, of course, was sitting right in front of me in the class room.

"Potter!" Professor Binns shouted, slamming down his pearly white, ghost hand down on the front of my desk—right ahead of where my head was lying, formerly undisturbed.

I jumped up from the shock of his hand coming down on my books, and rubbed my eyes from the reaction, needing to stay awake. I looked up through my heavy lids at Binns as he glowered at me, his pearly white eyes drooping down as he glared at me with his obvious distaste. I gave him a meek smile, my natural attitude making itself known in the room. The smile didn't really help my situation.

"Next time that you plan on falling asleep in my class, Potter, make sure that you don't have plans after classes, because you will be in detention making up for the time that you lost." He said, his tone ice cold and unapproachable.

I nodded in understanding and bent my head over the text book that he was reading from, my left fist supporting my head. Binns continued on about the class, only looking down ever so often at the text as he continued on about yet _another_ Goblin uprising that took place somewhere in the thirteenth century.

"The weapons used in this rebellion were—of course—Goblin made, the best of all metallic weapons both of that time and as of the present. Goblin made weapons do not need to be cleaned, polished, or even sharpened; as all of you should know from our previous studies. Now, the wizards of the time _did_ use Goblin made weapons as well, mostly being only shields, swords, maces, and axes; but—being wizards, and able to wield magic—our species took wands as our weapon of choice."

I listened to the lecture carefully, making sure that I underlined what Binns repeated and taking notes over every change of subject. My quill was scratching against my parchment nonstop, short-handing nearly every word that was spoken to remember it all later and still have time to take the notes while the lecture continued.

Honestly, it seemed to me that Goblin rebellions were all that we ever discussed in this room; the only difference between them all being a slight change in what started the rebellion, and the time period in which it happened. I _know_ that there's more to wizard history than that, but year after year you learn to just tune out everything that the professor says.

"Aren't you listening Kingsbridge?" Binns shouted loudly, leaning over the first row of desks arranged within his classroom. His ghostly face showed something that was beyond anger at William Kingsbridge; I swear if Binns could manage it he would throw the poor bloke out the window.

William sat in his chair, all of the blood draining from his face at a rather quick rate- much more than normal I'm sure. His skin was turning white from his shock and fear, his ice blue eyes wide from the fact that our ghost professor looked like he was going to rip him to shreds. He looked like he was going to have a stroke or heart attack soon if someone didn't do something.

Binns was shaking with his frustration and anger now. Slamming his pearly white fist down on William's books—going right through them—he vented out his anger yet again. "Well?" He yelled. "Why did you ask such a stupid question Mr. Kingsbridge? Or even better yet, why didn't you just yell it out to the entire class, instead of muttering it under your pathetic little breath!"

_Oh sweet Merlin… don't let Binns explode now of all the times to explode._

"Do you think that I am deaf? I may be a ghost, but that doesn't mean that my hearing has left me! Are you wondering why we have to learn this; why wizard history is so important?

"Even Muggles, _Muggles!—_ Mr. Kingsbridge, know why they have to learn their history—why it's so _important_ for their teachers to lull about the classroom lecturing about what has happened to their world over the past hundreds, _thousands_, of years in records and evidence.

"Can anyone—_anyone_—in this room tell me why you sit here, year after _year_ listening to me talk and lecture? Anyone?" Binns questioned turning around, his feet still fifteen centimeters off the stone flooring of the school.

I let my eyes wander around the room, resting on each person as I came across them. They were doing the same, no one daring to step up to the platform and answer the question. I knew the answer; Remus, Lily and I had gotten into a heated debate about it weeks ago, but much like everyone else in the room I was too terrified of Binns to even try. My mind raced after each passing minute as to who was going to answer the question. Who would be as crazy to raise their hand and answer it, facing the wrath of Binns if it happened to be wrong?

I mentally debated raising my hand and answering the question, just to end the silence that was coursing through the room—just so that we could move on with the lesson.

A small, weak hand went up in front of me—Remus was going to answer the question. I should have known that he would have eventually answered it, but for some reason normality was slipping from my mind.

"Mr. Lupin, what is the answer to my question?" Binns nodded towards Remus slightly, a look of partial annoyance perched on his features.

Remus put his hand down on his desk, folding it along with his other hand in front of him, and sat up straight to answer him. "We study history because if we don't we'll end up repeating our past mistakes over and over again, not learning from them because no one bothers to study or even write it down." His tone was impassive and monotone, as if a replacement was there, simply going through the motions of everyday life.

I knew why. Christmas holiday was coming up soon, which meant I was leaving with Padfoot, and Wormtail would be going home as well to see his family—Lily was taking some time to visit with her mum and dad, and to meet her sister's newly found fiancé—with the full moon was approaching fast. He was going to be alone for the first time in years, and it scared him more than nearly everything else in this world—wizard or Muggle.

Binns nodded and continued on, as if his tantrum hadn't happened at all, his body floating about the room as he continued on with the goblin rebellion. He only stopped for questions, skipping over William every time he raised his hand, to prove something I suppose.

**xXx**

"What could you be possibly reading now?" I asked, laughing down at Lily as she opened up yet another new book as she lounged around on my lap—yes Lily Evans was lying on my lap, and I am damn proud of that.

Lily gave me a short glare upwards, her smile coming through in the end to effectively end her tirade. She looked back down at her book, still smiling. "You know, there are more than _five_ books out in the world, and I just happen to be one of those people that like to explore those other books." She joked, hitting my knee slightly as she did so.

I smiled and ran my fingers slowly through her soft, thick hair. I could feel each and every individual strand against my fingertips as I combed through them, caressing each and every one in the split second I had. "Well just because I don't always spend my free time reading doesn't mean that I'm completely opposed to books." I argued back, tapping her nose lightly causing her to giggle.

"Well, then don't make fun of me _because_ I read." She shifted her weight slightly, trying to make herself comfortable.

"I wasn't, so what are you reading tonight?" I asked, leaning down to kiss her lightly. She smiled under my lips and sighed once I pulled away.

"_Dracula_ by Bram Stoker, not quite my favorite but it's still worth reading." She stated, her green eyes traveling along each line of the book, scanning it slowly.

I smiled as I continued to run my fingers gently through her hair, making sure that I started at the root of it to go all the way down to her tips. Once I got to a tangle or knot I would just simply, slowly and gently work my way through it until it was smooth silk once again. Once in a while Lily would give a shiver from my playing with her hair, her shoulders trembling and her spine shaking slightly as she worked out the nerves that were unknowingly building as I combed.. Every time that she did tremble, she would raise her eyes to me and smile, her chest shaking from her silent laughter, sharing the moment before she would just look back down and continue her with where she left off in her book.

Two hours passed quickly when the large Grandfather clock in the Common Room chimed twelve, sending Lily jumping up and closing her book with me following. The two of us walked up the stairs quietly, my left hand encasing her right and her left holding her thick classic novel. Once we reached the separate doors that lead to our individual sleeping quarters, Lily smiled and leaned forward, kissing my lips gently. Her lips were soft and warm, her strawberry chap-stick, that she had been using since fourth year, coming through and filling my senses. My hands reached out, my right arm going around her waist and pulling her close to me—her…er… _assets_ **(Book: Well James is a man here girls, you cannot expect him to be blind do you? ;) )** hitting my chest lightly and being so close that there wasn't enough room for air. My left hand went for her cheek, stroking it gently as we kissed, feeling the smooth ivory of her skin—perfectly flawless.

Lily's arms reached out as well, dropping her book to the ground—forgotten for now. Both arms wrapped around my neck, pulling me ever closer to her. One of her hands dived head on into my black hair, her fingers lacing right at the roots of it, tugging lightly—teasing me.

I smiled slightly, the smile being more of a smirk, and opened up a little—allowing my tongue to venture out from my mouth and lightly coax Lily to do the same. She gasped a little and then allowed herself to cave in, her tongue coming out and fighting my own for dominance. She was smooth and tasted like a mixture of mint and strawberry, her scent and touch being the only things that I could feel, the only things that I could think.

A clearing of someone's throat made Lily and I jump away from each other; a girlish squeal coming out to show just how shocked she was from the interruption. I glowered and turned around, ready to give some git a piece of my mind when I came face to face with Amy.

She was standing at the top of the stairs, her arms crossed over her chest with her face set into a hard mold—her eyes were frozen over. She was staring at Lily and I, her eyes shifting back and forth several times before she opened her mouth to speak.

"Well, I thought that I heard something going on up here when I walked into the Common Room; innocent Lily Evans and athletically great James Potter snogging right in front of my dormitory. Don't you two have something better to do?" She asked, her eyebrows going up for the answer.

I could see Lily's blush at my side and feel the slight turn of her head as she tried to hide herself behind her curtain of red hair. Lily may have been embarrassed, but _I_ was furious. How can she talk to her friend like that? A friend that had stuck by Lily ever since the beginning to suddenly turn on her? Something was going on, but I wasn't going to let Amy get to Lily emotionally, she didn't need that.

"What the bloody hell is your problem Amy?" I asked, stepping forward slightly, I was trying my best to control my anger but one wrong move and the cleaning staff would be sweeping up her ashes, and Dumbledore would have me expelled.

"My problem? I'm only going to my room to sleep and I run into… _snog_ city." Amy's nose wrinkled as if in disgust at running into Lily and I at the top of the stairs.

"I was kissing my _girlfriend_ and if you have a problem with that then you can just leave and go to bed, forgetting about all of this. I think that I have a right to kiss Lily goodnight if we're going to be leaving for the end of term." I answered, then suddenly the time came to my mind—well the time that it was when Lily and I walked up the stairs. "What are you doing out past curfew anyway? It's past midnight and we're not meant to be out from the Common Room after ten." I rose my eyebrows, knowing that I had the advantage now.

"I was talking to a _Professor_ about a grade that they gave me that I _clearly_ didn't deserve." She remarked, her tone snide and smug.

She was lying, and I knew it.

"Just go to bed, and forget about this; _now_." I growled, trying once again to keep my anger from boiling over the rim of the pot.

Amy smirked and sashayed to the door that lead to the girls' dormitory, making sure that she looked over her shoulder when the door was open to smirk before she sashayed fully into the room.

Lily turned toward me and sighed in relief, happy that Amy was gone. But under all of her relief was the anger and embarrassment that she caused, and her worry that something might happen to their friendship in the morning. But right now, all she felt was relief.

"Are you okay?" I asked, taking the half step needed to touch her. I gripped her upper arms lightly, bending my head down slightly to make sure that I maintained eye contact with her. "She didn't do anything did she? Something that I should know about?" I asked, trying to keep my emotions in check and remain as calm as I could in front of my Lily.

Lily's eyes wavered for a moment, giving me the answer that I needed—but I was going to let her answer it on her own time. I wanted to protect Lily from everything that could possibly come in and harm her, whether that be physically or emotionally, I wasn't going to allow any of that to happen to her.

"Sh-she's been acting strange for quite some time; getting mad at Annie for everything, not studying or caring about her grades, taking some of my things without asking, and just being too angry and over-emotional. I'm worried about her, James… and I don't know what to do either." She whispered, letting her head hang down as if in shame.

"Hey," I whispered, bringing her head back up to look at me with my index finger under her chin, "it's not your fault about what's going on, maybe she's just hitting something that's hard for her to go through and she wants to do it alone." I suggested, trying to make her feel better to the best of my ability.

Lily seemed satisfied with my answer, smiling at me to then step forward and wrap her arms around my waist, resting her head on my chest lightly, still smiling. "Thank you James." She whispered.

I smiled and buried my nose into her hair, inhaling her scent deeply—subtle vanilla and coconut. I let my lips reach out and kiss her crown lightly; still grinning as I did so. "You're welcome Lily." I whispered in reply, my voice muffled from her hair.

She giggled slightly, and then tilted her head upwards; giving me my final goodnight kiss. "Sweet dreams…" She whispered, kissing my chin then turning gently and elegantly to her dormitory.

**xXx**

"I'm going to miss you." Lily whined for the umpteenth time since we got onto the Hogwarts Express to Kings Cross station in London. She was leaning against my side, her legs taking up most of the bench that the two of us were occupying.

Sirius sat on the floor with Rebecca giving him his 'Christmas goodbye' and it seemed to me that he was thoroughly enjoying it. Remus was sitting in the bench across from Lily and I, his lap filled with treats that we had bought him from the treat trolley when it came about in our cabin. Peter was occupying the small space that was left of our bench beside Lily's brown leather, boot covered feet—he seemed to be going mental at the moment. Beside Remus, Annie and Mary were enjoying the gossip that was spreading through _Witches Weekly_, giggling and whispering like a lot of school girls—oh wait, they are. Alice and Frank were on the floor with Sirius and Rebecca, leaning against the wall that the window was on, whispering to each other; Frank was spending his Christmas holiday with Alice's family, meeting them and trying to make the impression needed to win over her parents.

Lily looked up and pouted at me, her green eyes going wide and sad at the thought of spending her Christmas holiday with her mum, dad, sister, and soon-to-be brother in-law. _"The thought of what that man looks like makes me shiver."_ Lily told me when she was running around the Common room getting her things ready to be packed away.

"It's not that far away from my parent's place and you can just write to me anytime and I'll answer back, I promise." I reasoned with her, yet again.

"I don't want to go home to Petunia and listen to her gloat about her pig of a fiancé… the man is nothing to me but a laugh." She grumbled, her pout punctuating with each word.

"It won't be that long, we'll see each other again in two weeks when we get back."

"James…." Lily whined, clearly frustrated. It made me laugh at how she could act like a first year sometimes.

"Now, who's the mature one in this relationship? It certainly doesn't look like you at the moment…" I teased, leaning down and kissing her nose lightly.

"_Promise_ me that you'll write to me?" She asked, still pouting and giving me puppy dog eyes.

"Promise." I swore, crossing my heart _twice_ to prove my point. She smiled.

As we continued on, we talked about what we think our parents got us and who we were going to see. It took Padfoot and I to explain to the girls that he was staying with me over the holiday—taking the time to explain that he didn't want to go home this year to hear his parents talk to him and compare him to his brother, _again_. He explained that my house was more of a home to him than his own was, that he was always welcome there no matter the circumstances.

The train pulled up to platform nine and three quarters; ending any talk of joy for our holiday, especially for Lily. I grabbed her luggage for her, making sure that I could carry both of ours as the two of us stepped off the train, walking over towards the Muggle platform. Once we were out onto the busy platform between nine and ten, Lily stood onto her tiptoes in her boots looking around for whomever was coming to pick her up. Her deep green eyes skipped to nearly everyone in the large waiting crows, her frown deepening every time she realized that it wasn't her parents.

Suddenly she gave a small wave and a small smile to go along with it, her lips tight, not even exposing her teeth slightly—her eyes flashed with annoyance. She turned towards me, sighing.

"Well, Tuney's here, I better get going." She sighed, using her sister's childhood nickname for the first time in weeks.

I smiled sadly, leaning over to hand her the small amount of luggage that she brought. Lily picked it up and thanked me for carrying it, leaning forward to speak to Sirius.

"I hope that you have a wonderful Christmas holiday Padfoot." She smiled, happy for the friend that we now shared.

"Same to you, Evans," he joked back, "same to you." Padfoot smiled and laughed slightly, looking around for my parents.

"I'll see you soon." I whispered, leaning forward and kissing her lips lightly in goodbye, aching not to let her go to her sister and leave for her holiday.

She gave me a smile and a goodbye, grabbing her luggage and adjusting her beret she set off towards a rather thin woman that had curly blonde hair cut short and pinned tightly to the sides of her thin, long head. She was dressed in a yellow dress that reached her knees and it seemed that stockings took it from there. Her blue coat was overly thick and came to rest just five centimeters above the hem of her dress. A thick man stood next to her, wearing a worn leather jacket and an out of taste flat hat. His dress trousers were showing and his leather shoes looked cheap and commonly bought. He couldn't possibly be older than twenty-three and the poor bloke had not one, but two chins.

Lily was a sun compared to the two of them, her jeans tucked safely into her brown leather boots and her coat coming **(Pic on my profile)** down to the perfect spot above her knees and below her hips. Her crème beret was perched on top of her head and the gloves matched perfectly. Her Gryffindor scarf was wrapped tightly around her neck and the tail of one side was draped behind her back before she pulled it forward in an act of nerves.

"Prongs, there are your parents." Sirius pointed off to Mum and Dad, their faces happy to see us yet again.

I smiled at them, giving them a wave as I walked , my best friend at my side.

"James!" Mum screamed, launching herself at me and enveloping me into her arms. I smiled.

"Hey Mum." I greeted, still smiling and hugging her.

"Who was the _lovely_ young lady we saw you with?" She fired off once she was done attacking Padfoot as well. It was only a matter of time,

"That was Lily Evans Mum." I answered, not even bothering to hide my smile as we walked out from the station.

"Oh! That young girl that you've been writing to us about?" She asked, her elderly gushing never ceasing.

My smile grew larger once I saw Lily putting her bags into the back of a new car, the white paint glossed over thickly. Her sister was standing uncomfortably at the curb, her fiancé staring at Lily as if she was an alien—I was ready to hex the git. Lily turned and caught my eye, her elegant fingers reaching up to brush a long lock of hair behind her ear, she smiled and winked.

"Yes Mum, that _lovely_, _wonderful_, _smart_, and _passionate_ girl that I was writing to you about." I smiled at my mother as I answered her question, happy to see her smiling back at me.

**There, now you have an idea of what James is really starting to think of Lily, even confessing to his own mother about what he thinks about her; now that takes some courage! I hope DEARLY that you liked this chapter and that it met your standards as per usual! I'm sorry that I haven't updated in forever but I was suffering from a terrible case of writers' block but I am BACK! And if you don't believe me ask Owl, and Owl not reading from the script this time. And if you guys are getting review replies from (Owl, insert you fanfic user name here {salinauchiha}) don't worry about it being a stalker, it's only Owl; we decided that it was easier for her to log in and reply to the reviews on her own apart from me delivering her message through my reply, and yes, I email her the reviews that I get—ALWAYS. Now, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**

**Beta Note: Yes, she's had writers block. xD & I'm salinauchiha on here,, i've got no stories and spend all my time being a stalker. xDD MUAHAHAHA. ._. I was a very large Naruto fan when i made my fanfic account,, but now I luff Shugo Chara & Zero No Tsukaima... if ur fans GOOD FOR YEW! =DDD Hope ya liked my Vera Bear's New Chapter. Yall know it's epic. ;3 Don't laugh at my Texan-ness TT^TT & review guys ;3 Makes mah buddy feel good about herself. Bahaha. x33 OHYES.**

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	14. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter Series, which—sadly—means that I do not own James Potter either.**

**Alright, so I hope that you people enjoyed the last chapter and that every word that I put into it was up to your standards. There was some major drama going on there in the middle-ish wasn't there ladies? Well, **_**my**_** favorite part had to either be when James and Lily were kissing before they—quite **_**rudely**_**—got interrupted, or when James was telling his dear ol' mum about Lily. *swoons* one of those two has to be my favorite part.**

**Now we must take a vote on something, who here thinks that James is just the best guy ever right now? Well, review and tell me your vote! Owl will not vote, because she is just that un-girly. ;)**

**Beta Note: No, the term is Devoid of Girlyness. REMEMBER IT. :3 I will vote just to prove you wrong: Sure, yeah I'd say James is pretty dang epic right now. xD Lets hope the upcoming GIRLY I'm about to experience isn't enough to kill me, because I'm saving my death for Marching Band. (ZOMG I'm a freshman on 2****ND**** TRUMPET! =D I'm so freaking happy xD Aside from {My} He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named I'm the only fishy trumpet that's NOT 3****rd**** part! WOO!) ENJOY THE STORY! Because if you don't the evil soul munchers will come and hunt you down so they may feed on your souls with (considering this is Harry Potter) the help of the dementors. I'll stop talking and let you read on. Seriously, ENJOY! =DD**

**Now, I think that we have ranted and rambled enough, let's keep moving forward (warning, I am super hyper today :D)! **

**Lily Evans**

Petunia hadn't changed a bit since the last time that I saw her. One week before I was set to leave for my school year, my dearest sister had made the choice to go off and stay with her current boyfriend—now fiancé—and to meet his parents, telling me that _he_ was more worthy of her time and devotion than I ever could be.

Now, the only question that remains is: Why on Earth would Mum and Dad think that I would want to see my sister and that _pig_ now?

I walked forward, being completely conscious of the fact that I was indeed carrying a cat through a train station and that there was a "long, thin shaft of wood" in my coat pocket. I pushed my luggage forward to the best of my ability, James having no issue before with his _many _years of playing Quidditch—not to make his ego _any_ larger than it already was.

Petunia's face was still just as fragile and thin as it was before I left, her cheeks sunken in slightly—causing it all to look worn and pasty before the age of twenty-five. Her pale skin had become a slight shade darker, more pink than before, but not quite enough to make a difference. Her spine was straight from where she stood, her posture being as impeccable as possible—trying to be the perfect little housewife. Her thin, boney hands were clasped in front of her body, resting right at her hips, her beige handbag dangling off of her right elbow.

Being perfectly honest with myself, I was rather hoping that Mum or Dad would come and pick me up to drive me home, just like they always did when I came home from school—even for Christmas holiday. I didn't want to explain to Vern-pig—my new found name for Petunia's fiancé, with the help from Padfoot of course—why I was with two boys, what a "stick of wood" was doing in my coat, why there was a cat in a cage, and why it appeared as if I walked through a solid brick wall between platforms nine and ten. He didn't need to know these things, but here he was—witnessing just how strange I really am. No doubt Petunia has already told him.

"Petunia." I greeted my sister, keeping it polite but nowhere near as friendly as it used to be for the two of us.

_She deserves it_, I thought.

My older sister pursed her thin, orange/pink lipstick covered lips at me—as if she were thinking about even giving me a hello.

_If I was polite enough to give you one, I don't think that it would be suicide if you gave one back—sister dearest_. I though sarcastically.

Petunia's actions caused me to have a rather large urge to roll my eyes at her, just to show what I thought about her childish behavior. My newfound eye rolling problem was something that I seemed to be picking up from James and Sirius, as they have been doing with some of my tendencies as well—it was only fair.

Finally she spoke, uttering my name curtly and unemotionally before she turned on her heel and walked off towards the entrance of Kings Cross, her new leather heels clicking with each step that she took farther away. One could only hope that she was walking off in the general direction of the car. I sighed and rolled my eyes, taking my stance and walking on with my luggage—Vern-pig trying to catch up with his new fiancé. I almost asked the bloke if he would be kind enough and carry my cat or one of my smaller bags full of books for me.

Almost.

I thought better of it at the last moment, knowing that somewhere along their relationship Petunia had told him that whatever I touch seems to make the flesh rot away; that's what she was convinced of for the first three years I went to school.

On the way out I caught sight of Remus; he and his dad looked just about as miserable as people come—and that was saying something considering the dark times that we lived in. I gave my friend a smile and made a small gesture with my free hand for him to write me over the holiday—my smile still in place. He grinned at me and nodded vigorously in response, obviously glad that I made the invitation—my smile grew as I saw his reaction.

Once we were outside in the bone chilling air, Petunia tried to strike up a conversation. "How was school this term?" she asked, trying her best to be as vague as possible while around Vern-pig, for now. I could see that she really didn't care what my answer was, she was just trying to make herself seem so normal, so Muggle, to the point where it appeared as if we were a happy and bright family to those people—wizard or not—that were passing us.

"Best term yet," I answered honestly, thinking that it might as well be true if we were going to hold up a pretense such as this one, "got to know some students that have been in my class since the start, and made the foundations for a new… relationship." I know that I was going to be honest, but that doesn't mean that she had to know every detail about my new found life.

My sister nodded, her eyes gleaming with something that told me my new "relationship" discussion would be brought up again at a later time. She was trying hard—too hard—to keep her lips tight and firmly in place in a nervous set, telling me that she wasn't comfortable with being around me or the people that are _like_ me.

My anger flared up, and this time I couldn't stop the eye rolling that occurred—my newly found defensive side taking over my thoughts and actions. "Just because I'm not "normal" like _you_ are Petunia, doesn't automatically give you the right to stomp around and treat _us_ like the Black Plague." I remarked snidely, wishing even more than before that it was Mum and Dad who came to get me. I picked up my walking pace, going right for the over glossed white car that sat at the curb at a parking meter, knowing that it was Vern-pig's car from my sister's gloating of it.

I wanted more than _anything_ to just disapparate and go home that way, making sure that I take Petunia and Vern-pig with me, only to leave them in Romania with the dragons. But, being in the out and open in the Muggle world now, I knew that what I wanted wasn't possible then.

I waited at the curb, resisting the itch to reach into my pocket to simply unlock the car and put my things in on my own, without even waiting for Vern-pig to open it. The happy couple finally caught up to me, Vern-pig taking the responsibility to at least open the trunk of the car while he and Petunia stood on the curb, my sister rocking back and forth on her heels. It wasn't lost to me or anyone else for that matter that she was uncomfortable around these people. I sighed and stepped off the curb, lifting my bags up and placing them in the trunk as organized as could possibly be with an overly large set of golf clubs taking up space right in the middle.

I was just about to set my bag containing my school work to be completed over the holiday when I felt eyes on me—not Petunia and Vern-pig watching me as I put my bags in the trunk of the car, but someone from a distance. I looked up only to meet the eyes of James, watching me intensely.

I brushed a stray lock of hair behind my ear where it belonged, giving him a small smile as I continued to put my bags in the car. I glanced back over to see him smiling and talking with his mum, who was giving him a large toothy grin in return—clearly happy with the response that she got out of him.

Only thirteen more days until I can go back to school, only thirteen more days…

Not that I was counting.

**xXx**

"Lily!" Mum yelled through the thick wood of my door, knocking obnoxiously on it. My name rang through the house once again through her lips, her voice cracking from the high pitch.

I slowly opened one of my eyes, testing out the lighting in my room before I did anything too daring. Immediately I came face-to-face with a scarlet red and gold flag pinned to my wall, showing my spirit for my house at school. I groaned and rolled over in my small bed, not wanting to be disturbed from my peaceful slumber.

My door opened and Mum walked in, shutting it behind her as she took in my room. The focus of her attention was the open trunk with my things and the books scattered around the surface. She apparently decided that her constant knocking wasn't sufficient enough for her. She walked over to the closed window, my curtains being drawn tightly together to keep out the morning sun—and hopefully my nightmares; and threw them open. The sun had evidently decided to make an appearance from behind the thick clouds at that exact moment, streaming in a golden ray of light through the tiny window.

I moaned from the sudden light and rolled over, trying to get away from it.

"Lily Evans you need to get out of this bed right now." Mum ordered, not even bothering to allow me to make a standing defense about how tired I was.

She walked to the foot of my bed, standing directly behind the foot board. Her fingers knotted at the bottom of the blankets and she gave a quick tug, leaving me exposed to the cold air of our house without my piles of warmth that kept me feeling nice in the night. Once the cold air hit my bare ankles goose-bumps broke-out along my porcelain flesh—sending chills up my spine.

_It's too early for this_. I groaned mentally, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep and try to push away my fatigue from school pressure and the length of the trip from Hogwarts to Kings Cross to dreadful home.

"Lily." Mum said sternly, her tone telling me that this was my last warning to get up out of the bed that no longer kept me warm. She was no doubt standing right above where my head was resting on the pillow, her hands already poised at her hips. She heaved a heavy sigh, clearly frustrated that I _still_ hadn't gotten up and out of the bed.

I was awake, clearly since I'm agitated more than Padfoot could make me in a lifetime, but I simply refused to leave the once warm sanctuary that was my bed.

"Get up, Lily." Mum ordered again. "I know that this year of school has been hard for you—always demanding your attention and concentration—but you must get up _now_. Vernon is coming over for dinner and Petunia wants me to take you into town so that I can get you a new dress for tonight's occasion."

I sat up in my bed and looked up at Mum, my anger causing my blood to boil. "No." I answered sternly, my tone hard as steel and void of any emotion.

What?" Mum demanded, clearly unhappy with the answer that I had given her. Her eyes looked as if I had just slapped her clear across the face.

"I said no, Mum." I replied back, my voice hard and cold like the first time. "I refuse to act like and become some little doll so that Petunia can allow her _pet pig_ you people call her fiancé to approve of me. I'm different than you, and he will find out, and after he does he'll start to retreat Petunia even further from me than she already has on her own. He'll avoid me at all costs possible. So, I'm not going into town to look for a dress that I'm going to wear _once_ just to make an impression on the pig. No." I elaborated, crossing my arms in front of my chest just to prove my point. I felt proud standing up against my sister's wishes for once.

"Well then, what are you going to wear for the dinner?" She demanded, flailing her arms about her like a drowning bird.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Something that _I_ want to wear." I answered, getting up form my blanket-less bed and marching right into the bathroom—effectively ending the conversation.

**xXx**

"Petunia!" Dad yelled up the stairs, trying to get my older sister to come down for the tenth time in fifteen minutes. She would always shout that she wasn't ready or that she needed to be perfect for Vernon's arrival. I understood where she was coming from, wanting to look nice for the person that she was in a relationship with, but I didn't see the point in dressing up for a _pig_.

I sat alone in the den, waiting for Vern-pig to come to the door. I held a glass of water in my left hand as it rested against the arm of the couch, my finger tracing the circle that made the rim of it—I needed something to distract me. Honestly I was secretly wishing that I had a Butterbeer or a glass of pumpkin juice in my hand; until then Muggle water would have to suffice until I could reach a wizard pub somewhere in London—most likely the Leaky Cauldron.

I wore a cashmere white sweater that was freshly washed, the bottom hem going right to my hips and the sleeves reaching my elbow. The material was soft and caressed my skin lightly, keeping me warm—I would have to buy more of these sweaters in the future. I had a brown leather belt with white studs wrapped around my waist for a little something extra. A pair of dark-washed jeans covered my legs, the darkened denim contrasting nicely against the pearly white of my sweater. My brown leather boots came up to my knees, the tops folded over and a gold buckle around the folded section, another one locked the inside of my ankle. The leg was wrinkled to add some show of usage, even though I bought these just this year for this winter. Simple diamond studs were in my ears, not wanting to be too flashy with my jewelry.

_If Vern-pig thinks that this is unacceptable then he can just go die in a hole_, I thought smugly; it seemed as if Padfoot was greatly influencing my thoughts and vocabulary. I was happy that I ended up making the choice to not go into town with Mum and instead wear what I want. If something were to break out because of what I was wearing I knew that I would have the upper hand with it.

Petunia came rushing down the stairs, pinning the last of her curled hair to the side of her head—her heels were making a new world full of noise as she rushed down the stairs. Her light pink dress had a straight across neck line, hitting her right at her collarbone. The sleeves were thin and didn't go past her shoulders, trying to give off what little appeal she had. Right past the waist the dress fanned out into the skirt, ending right at the knees. The color made her look deathly pale with her already sickly skin. She gave off the image of the perfect housewife in the dress—no doubt trying to convince Vernon that she was willing to be the perfect female and stay home to take care of the children that they were eventually going to have. A strand of thin pearls hung around her neck; looking like a wrong turn of the head could choke her. Matching single pearl earrings were placed in the center of her earlobes. An off white cardigan covered her frail shoulders, just to keep her warm in a house.

I used all of my strength to keep my newfound habit of rolling my eyes at bay—James and Sirius would be paying for that one later.

"Is Vernon here yet?" Petunia asked, keeping her lips tight as she smoothed out the skirt of her dress.

"No honey, but dinner is ready and dessert is sitting in the kitchen right now. We're just waiting for Vernon to arrive and get this show on the road." Mum answered waving a hand towards the den in invitation for her to sit down and relax for once.

Petunia walked in, pulling at some fabric at her hips to ensure that it was wrinkle free for what was sure to be the umpteenth time tonight. She came in and sat down in a chair that was located on the other side of the room, obviously trying her best to avoid me as usual. Her brown eyes shifted towards me once she was down and comfortable, and they immediately morphed into a glare; clearly she wasn't happy about my choice in fashion for the night.

"_What_ are you wearing?" She demanded, her eyes flashing with anger quickly—still unhappy.

I shrugged, still keeping my eyes cast down towards my glass of water that I held in my lap. "What I want to wear." I answered simply, my eyes not breaking concentration from the glass.

"What about the dress that Mum got you this afternoon?" She continued on with her Spanish Inquisition. I could easily see that she was on the verge of getting up and out of that chair she was occupying with rage towards me.

"Mum didn't _take_ me dress shopping." I answered, my anger finally setting off. "And she didn't take me into town because I told her exactly what I'm about to tell you: I refuse to be your little play doll. I'm not going to dress up just to impress a man that _you're _going to marry, a man that _I _don't even like." To her, this was most likely a scheme to make her angry.

Petunia had just opened her mouth to give me back some reply, most likely going to be some snide remark about my explanation, when she seemed to get a better idea and closed it back up. I just thought that she was speechless at the time… and I really hoped that was the case.

We sat in silence for just ten more minutes, and then a knock came to the door followed by the sound of our doorbell. Dad was waiting in the foyer for Vernon to arrive, so he was the first one to reach the door and open it to let our guest into the house. Vernon stepped inside, his leather coat clinging to his expanding body like spandex and his hat perched crookedly on his head. In his left hand he held a bottle of champagne and in the other some flowers, but placed between his arm and his left elbow was another bottle—apple cider. I knew that I was too young to drink on Muggle terms, but this was ridiculous. I've had a glass of firewhiskey before at school, and it burned yes—but that doesn't mean I downed the entire bottle and got tipsy.

Dad assisted Vern-pig in taking off his coat, peeling the leather off of his skin and taking his hat as well; putting it all in the coat closet by the door. Our guest wore a thickly knit beige sweater vest, a white long sleeved button down showing along with a tie. He wore slacks that were too long for his legs but fit him at the waist—I could see the last minute pins that were holding the bottom hem up so he didn't look like a total git.

Mum made her way into the den to invite Vernon in, smiling and laughing with him as he talked about how some bloke had caused him to run late. He walked into the den and Petunia instantly rose from her chair and made a bee-line for his side, kissing him lightly on the cheek. He gave her a curt hello and turned his double-chinned head towards me.

His beady little eyes took me in, starting from the crown of my head and migrating down to my pointed boots. I smiled tightly at him in welcome, trying to keep up _some_ friendly pretenses.

"You must be Lily, Petunia's sister." He spoke, stepping forward and extending his hand out towards me. "She certainly has told me a lot about you." He continued on, trying to make up a small-talk conversation. I gave him my own tight smile and leaned forward shaking his hand, making sure to keep my grip strong so that he would know that I wasn't even going to pretend to be some weaker race to make him happy.

"Well, I certainly hope that it was good things that my sister told you." I replied, with a warning.

Mum came in and invited us into the dining room to start dinner, giving us warm smiles as she waited until all three of us were where we should be. A spread of chicken was set out on the table, a smooth and polished wooden bowl holding the salad greens and another matching one holding the rolls that Mum had spent the day baking. Mashed potatoes with gravy were sitting side-by-side in the center of the rectangular table—right next to the chicken. Green beans and corn was another option as a side dish as well.

Dad was already seated at the head of the table, waiting for the four of us so that he could start carving the chicken. Mum sat at the other end of the table, smiling at Dad lovingly as she waited for Petunia, Vern-pig and I to take our seats. Petunia sat to Dad's left, Vernon taking up the seat next to her and beside Mum. I sat on the right hand of Dad alone, one empty seat next to me.

Mum and Dad had bought two extra chairs for when Petunia and I ended up bringing home some boys or husbands… so this way there was plenty of room at the table for them. Little did they know that it was going to be _very_ hard to me to bring home James so that he could meet my parents. I let out a quiet sigh.

We said grace and began to eat, Vernon taking up the mashed potatoes and stealing the gravy as well, next he took the bread and corn. I wanted to hex the bloke for hogging most of the food, but Petunia's pointed glare made my decisions flip back on me. I took some chicken—a fair and even serving, some corn, green beans, a roll, and the potatoes—making sure that I put just enough gravy on top to add some flavor.

"So, Lily," Vern-pig began, wiping his gravy covered mouth on his napkin before he spoke, "Petunia here tells me that you go to a different school than she did." He started, no doubt trying to meddle into my private life. I would just play along until I couldn't handle it anymore.

I nodded, spearing some beans with my fork and stuffing them into my mouth—just needing an excuse to not talk to make the git angry. I chewed and swallowed—_slowly_. "Yes I do, I go to a boarding school over near the edges of Scotland." I answered, trying to keeping it as close to the truth as possible.

Vern-pig nodded, stuffing his mouth full of bread, chicken and gravy before he spoke again. _Great Merlin, this man _really is_ a pet pig_. I thought with disgust. "Is it a very hard school to get into?" He asked, reaching over to grab my sister's hand that was resting under the table, bringing it to sit on top of the white table cloth. I could see the tiny diamond ring on her left hand that was her engagement ring, but he was no doubt trying to remind me that my sister didn't "get into" this boarding school, _I_ did—and I was the only one in my family to do so.

I nodded, keeping my eyes downcast as I looked at my glass of sparkling cider that he brought for _me_. "Yes, and I'm one of the best students in my year. I do rather well in my classes there, and it's very easy to make relationships that will surely last a lifetime." I answered, praising Hogwarts to the best of my ability in front of an unknowing Muggle.

Vern-pig seemed rather taken aback when I told him that I was one of the best students in my year, or that I had actually had friends there. Blood started to rise to his cheeks in his evident anger, trying to get me to confess to some flaw that I had—he was not going to stop this madness. He opened his mouth to fire off another question when the doorbell rang.

I jumped in my chair to look back into the den, expecting the person at our front step to appear right there. We weren't meant to have any other company over for dinner tonight other than Vernon, even thought we obviously had enough for three more mouths. Though, at the rate Vern-pig was eating that wouldn't be a problem. I turned back to Mum and Dad, the question evident in my eyes as I looked at them. To say that I wasn't worried would be a lie, Death Eaters could be behind my door, ready to kill all of us in a flash—these were dangerous times to be living in after all.

Dad excused himself and went to go and see who was at the door, dropping his cloth napkin on the table and turning the corner to go into the foyer. I heard the door open, and I just waited to see a flash of green light and for Death Eaters to be storming into our home—demanding for something or just to kill us. But nothing of the sort happened, I could only hear quiet conversation and murmuring—Dad and whomever was at the door, talking about something. Perhaps someone had gotten lost and was simply asking for directions home.

Three sets of footsteps started to echo towards us, coming into the den and about to turn the corner into the dining room. I heard Dad mutter something about introductions and then he walked in alone, our new guests staying behind in the den—waiting.

Dad cleared his throat and looked at me, and only me. He kept his green eyes on me as he spoke to the rest of the family. "It seems that we have some friends of Lily's over for dinner as well." He said and then turned to make a gesture to the open doorway that lead into the den.

Footsteps started again, coming into the dining room. They weren't light but they weren't exactly heavy either. I had a sudden rush of panic wash through my body; I didn't invite anyone over for dinner from school—and I most certainly didn't give anyone but James and Remus my address, wanting one of them to come over sometime. I knew that Sirius was staying with James and both of them were most likely going to be busy with James' parents and the holidays that were coming up. Death Eaters, they had to be Death Eaters; they just wanted to see the fear in our eyes before they killed us.

I kept my eyes focused on the entrance, waiting for them to walk in—one of my hands on my wand hidden in my back pocket, the other gripping the top of my chair tightly. My eyes were hard and ready for any sign of a threat to come out from that room.

I could see from the corner of my eye that Petunia was giving me a pointed glare, unhappy with me because some _friends_ of mine had decided to come over for dinner as well. Vernon was giving me the same look—I didn't even bother to try and roll my eyes, I was too distracted; that man could be more bipolar than Moony on a full moon.

The footsteps got closer and closer, until they finally reached the doorway that lead into the dining room. Out came a tall and lanky older teenager, with a mop of black hair that fell down and swayed in front of his eyes. He wore a smug grin on his face as he looked at me. He wore a red button down shirt that was untucked, with wrinkles creased into the fabric from tucking it in then changing his mind and pulling it back out.

A second teenager around the same age came out behind him, his build a little more muscular but still lanky in all terms. He had a head of jet black messy hair that seemed to go in every direction other than the direction that it was meant to lay. A cocky set shy smile was set upon his lips, showing me that he had a large ego yet he was shy about where he was and the company that was around him. He wore a green button down shirt that was untucked—just like his friend's—but to me it meant something more than the color of a shirt. His ice-blue eyes were on me, and only me; ice-blue eyes that were hidden behind a pair of circular rimmed glasses.

_James_… I thought, my mental voice was only a whisper.

James smiled a little wider at me, clearly happy that I had recognized him. Apparently I had not only thought his name, I had said it aloud. His smile was breathtaking to see, his eyes were dancing with joy to see my happiness at his arrival—a smile slowly engulfing my face as well.

"Hey Lily." He whispered back, his smile never leaving his face.

**IMPORTANT NOTE! MUST READ NOW!:**

**Okay, so I am going on vacation around 5:30 in the afternoon to visit my stepdad's family in Michigan. Unfortunately, my parents find me addicted to my computer so they will not let me take my laptop with me on "vacation". So I did not post this chapter. I know that everything is in my name and it showed up but Owl is the one that posted this chapter for me because I asked her to. So, I will not be able to reply to your reviews quite yet, so please do not get angry with me when I don't. I will be handwriting the next chapter when I'm there, so I should get it updated right on time. I will be back home around the beginning of July but then I'm packing up again to go to my dad's for the month, and from there I have English assignments that I need to do, and I have Band Camp in August that I NEED to go to. So please people, bare with me and please please please do not expect something really good really soon—because I can't provide it right now.**

**Thank you and I can't wait to hear from you guys when I get back.**

**REAL AUTHOR'S NOTE FOR THE END OF THE STORY:**

**OOOH! Look at what James did! How freaking sweet! I love that! I wanted to continue but then I thought about it and I came to the conclusion that it would be so much better if I left it here and then continued on from the next chapter. Hehe, I'm so evil! Hope that you guys liked it and I can't wait to be getting those reviews when I get back, until then I will be relying on Owl to tell me the jist of it over text or the phone. Until then, my faithful readers. **

**Beta Note: I was told to tell the readers (you) to check out some type of thing on Book's fanfic profile. It's a… Polyvore? on Lily's outfit for this story/chapter. The link for it is on Book's profile. Not sure how to really explain it, but GO CHECK IT OUT. NAOW. :33 Yes, it seems that I have had to post up this chapter for you guys, because her legal guardians fail and don't like her to read, write, or have any friends from her old home! So she is probably not in current possession of her dearest computer. T'was no problem putting this up.. (reads from script) *cough, cough* WHAT! She left me with a… very long and detailed letter on what I had to do and how I must do it to post up. The best thing I can see out of it? I can now hack into her account. (XDD oh, Vera don't worry I'm not that evil) And even with Vera's busy schedule, when she does happen to get a new chapter done it will take 3x as long for me to edit it; for next week I'm headed off to The Philippines for vacation to visit family, and right after I get back MY marching band training begins. (Oh, I'm going to DIE.) Now my final words shall be: the chapter was epic as always (very epic!), review, and TRUMPETS ARE 'DE SHIZ. :3 (To Vera and all other clarinets, as said by an epic clarinet person and used by me to turn it back on clarinets: You chose the wrong Bb Instrument.) **

**That is all. **

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